0:00:05 > 0:00:09Insurance fraud has reached epidemic levels in the UK.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14It's costing us more than £1.3 billion every year.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17That's almost 3.6 million every day.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries, even phantom pets.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and every year, it's adding around £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But insurers are fighting back,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39exposing just under 15 fake claims every hour.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43That's the subject out of the vehicle.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..sophisticated data analysis techniques...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47BREAKS SCREECH AND GLASS SMASHES
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Police!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..and a number of highly skilled police units...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Just don't lie to us.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle are now
0:01:01 > 0:01:03caught in the act,
0:01:03 > 0:01:04and claimed and shamed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15..millions of pounds' worth of cars stolen from UK roads are
0:01:15 > 0:01:18seized and repatriated from Africa.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21When the police raided the compound,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25they uncovered 29 vehicles all stolen from the UK.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28The case is closed on a woman's lost luggage scam.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39And a bogus personal injury claim after a minor bus prang
0:01:39 > 0:01:41runs out of road.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44There was no movement. There was laughing and joking.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Most people were unaware that a collision had occurred.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Now, if you've ever had an accident on the road, you'll know it
0:01:54 > 0:01:59can be costly and quite frankly a right pain in the rear bumper.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Fortunately insurers can provide a replacement hire vehicle to
0:02:03 > 0:02:05get you back on the road quick smart.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But there are some sneaky scammers out there who will fabricate
0:02:08 > 0:02:12an accident purely to get their hands on one of these vehicles.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18With 186,000 road traffic accidents reported every year
0:02:18 > 0:02:20in the UK...
0:02:20 > 0:02:21SCREECHING BRAKES/LOUD BANG
0:02:23 > 0:02:27..companies like Accident Exchange are kept busy supplying
0:02:27 > 0:02:29replacement hire vehicles to motorists in need.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Neil Thomas is their Director of Investigative Services and
0:02:34 > 0:02:37heads up their Asset Protection Unit.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41APU are crucial in terms of protecting the cars,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44so we investigate any potential fraud.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49We help Accident Exchange and other companies look after their fleet.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Neil and his team do this with the help of state-of-the-art
0:02:52 > 0:02:55tracking systems which are fitted to every one of their vehicles.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01With APU, we use extremely advanced technology in all the cars.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04This technology will tell us if there's any untoward
0:03:04 > 0:03:05behaviour in the car.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09It was this cutting-edge system that first flagged
0:03:09 > 0:03:12a potential problem with one of their vehicles, because bizarrely
0:03:12 > 0:03:17it was showing the car's location as Le Havre in France.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20We know that people go from the UK to France for lots of reasons.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23However, the technology's so sophisticated,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25we could tell that it wasn't on a road,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27it was in a container.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It was on a container ship in a harbour.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Now, that really gave us some concerns.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Fearing for the safety of his customer,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Neil attempted to get in touch.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So, we tried to contact the client.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44We couldn't speak to the client at all.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The customer might have vanished into thin air,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49but the car was on the move again.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51The next thing we knew, it turned up in a place called
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Salalah, which is in Oman, which is in the Middle East.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Now, again, that's a long way for a car,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01a hire car to be taken by a member of the public or a client.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Neil's team began to investigate the customer's original claim for
0:04:05 > 0:04:07a replacement hire vehicle
0:04:07 > 0:04:11and their enquiries revealed some alarming information.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13This vehicle was a Lexus
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and it had been chosen by the client,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21so he had, it turns out, made up the circumstances of a road
0:04:21 > 0:04:26traffic collision and gone to some lengths to obtain a replacement car.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31So, the original insurance claim was completely bogus.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Once the car had been acquired through insurance fraud,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37it was delivered to the gang member posing as a genuine customer,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39who simply disappeared with the vehicle.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44But Neil soon discovered that his missing Lexus was just the tip
0:04:44 > 0:04:48of a massive iceberg when it was contacted by the National
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56When NVCIS became involved in the investigation, it became
0:04:56 > 0:05:00clear that this wasn't just one vehicle taken from the UK.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04This was an organised gang, a multi-million-pound operation.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Cars were being stolen predominantly in the south-east and London
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and being exported from the UK into Africa.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13A startling discovery.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Investigators were dealing with a global network of car thieves
0:05:18 > 0:05:20stealing vehicles from UK roads.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26They were, in fact, being taken to order and sold on to make
0:05:26 > 0:05:29millions of pounds.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Agents were facing an unknown number of fraudulently obtained and
0:05:32 > 0:05:34stolen vehicles,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38but thanks to the tracker on board the Lexus, UK law enforcement
0:05:38 > 0:05:41had a unique opportunity to bust the entire operation.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47But it relied on Neil's willingness to take a huge gamble.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50We could have just made a decision to say we'll just have the hire car back.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53We decided and I decided that we wanted to be part of the
0:05:53 > 0:05:56investigation and help other people get their cars back as well.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And with many of the gang's victims yet to be paid out by their
0:06:00 > 0:06:03insurance companies, there was a slim chance that
0:06:03 > 0:06:07APU could save the industry hundreds of thousands of
0:06:07 > 0:06:11pounds by locating and helping to recover the stolen vehicles.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16So, our stolen Lexus was being tracked from inside a
0:06:16 > 0:06:18moving shipping container.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19After leaving the UK,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22it had travelled by sea to the French port of Le Havre.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It was then shipped around the tip of Spain,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28across the Mediterranean Sea, where it passed between Egypt and
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Jordan, and made its way to Mombasa, Kenya.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It was then transported overland to Kampala, Uganda,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36where its journey ended.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40The hope was that the Lexus would lead investigators directly
0:06:40 > 0:06:43into the heart of the gang's operation.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Once the cars had been tracked to Kampala itself,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52we needed to use the technology to identify,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56with pinpoint accuracy, exactly where they were.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58And the location of the Lexus turned out to be
0:06:58 > 0:07:01a bonded warehouse in the heart of Kampala.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Using this information, Ugandan police and officers from the
0:07:06 > 0:07:10UK's National Crime Agency made their way to the location.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14When the police raided the compound where the Lexus was, they uncovered
0:07:14 > 0:07:20not just the Lexus, but 29 other vehicles all stolen from the UK.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23In total, about £1 million worth of UK cars.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28An unprecedented seizure
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and an estimated £700,000 worth of losses that insurers would
0:07:32 > 0:07:34have already paid out to customers.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38With the cars now secured, they were taken to
0:07:38 > 0:07:41a government compound, but Neil's work wasn't done yet.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47We were asked by the UK police to go with them to Uganda and then
0:07:47 > 0:07:51track all of the cars from Uganda, through Kenya,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55back on the boat and do a reverse trip back to the UK.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Having come this far in the investigation,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Neil wasn't about to back out now.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04I, representing APU, went personally to Uganda to make sure that
0:08:04 > 0:08:08the final stage of the operation went as well as the initial stage.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12When Neil arrived in Uganda, he saw first-hand the scale of the
0:08:12 > 0:08:15criminal operation that had been uncovered
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and it was all thanks to the tracking technology fitted to
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the Lexus that had been fraudulently obtained from
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Accident Exchange.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The footage we're looking at now is footage I filmed when I flew
0:08:27 > 0:08:29to Uganda.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It's not long before Neil spots what had effectively been his
0:08:32 > 0:08:35undercover operative, the stolen Lexus.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Just inside the Ugandan revenue authority.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41This is the first sighting we have of what we think is our Lexus.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47As you can see, quite a few cars lined up here.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Very nice, very expensive cars.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But we know they've been here for at least six months.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01So, I think they just need a little bit of...
0:09:02 > 0:09:04..TLC to say the least.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08This one's actually got a tax disc holder from the UK.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Looking at all the vehicles, there's only probably one,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15maybe two that have got slight damage.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18It's no good trying to steal a car and then trying to sell it on
0:09:18 > 0:09:19when it's damaged.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22The ones we're interested in are,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25particularly from my point of view, the Lexus, which is there.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28You'll see it's quite dusty and they're all covered in dust.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30This is inside the Lexus.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34As you can see, it needs a little bit of a clean-up.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38These are the papers that were in the car.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The cars were recovered in the nick of time.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46When we looked at the vehicles in more detail,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48the identities had been changed.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So, most vehicles have got a visible identity number,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54a VIN number, on the windscreen.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58They'd all been changed and most of the personal identification
0:09:58 > 0:10:01features for the vehicles have been taken off.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And you can see that they're all high-end vehicles ready to be
0:10:05 > 0:10:07sold on to innocent purchasers.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10This was a ground-breaking operation.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15The images you see now are the official handing over of the
0:10:15 > 0:10:19keys, so physically handing over the keys from Uganda to the UK.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21This is the first time that anything like this has happened,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25so I'm really proud to have been involved in it.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29This long, complex investigation had taken Neil and law
0:10:29 > 0:10:33enforcement officers from the UK all the way to Africa,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36but there was still a long way to go.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Once we were comfortable that the cars were roadworthy,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42then we had the challenge of getting them back to the UK.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Vehicles were loaded into containers and shipped across land in
0:10:47 > 0:10:50a road train across the border from Kampala,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53back into Kenya and then do a reverse journey.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58But this return journey was a perilous one and posed serious risks to all involved.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59We didn't know who we were dealing with
0:10:59 > 0:11:02and the organised gang, they've got a lot to lose.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04We're talking at the time £1 million worth of cars.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08There's always a potential that the convoy may have been attacked
0:11:08 > 0:11:09en route.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Still to come...
0:11:11 > 0:11:14the stolen vehicles are back on home soil.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18This is the first time that cars have been repatriated from Africa.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I really want to see the Lexus back.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Now, a well-earned holiday is a wonderful thing.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Travel insurance gives you the peace of mind that should your
0:11:32 > 0:11:36siesta in the sun turn into a bout of tourism trauma, you're covered.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But unfortunately there are those who think making
0:11:39 > 0:11:43a false claim is all part of the package deal.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Whether you're a sun lover, culture connoisseur or thrill-seeker,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50there's a travel insurance policy to cover you.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55CEGA specialise in travel insurance services.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Their head of special investigations, Simon Cook,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02knows his all-inclusive scams from his five-star swindles.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08He was presented with one claim which is unfortunately all too common.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11The customer contacted us and explained that, unfortunately,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14she'd been subjected to a theft whilst on holiday in New Zealand.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18She told us that she was in the airport waiting for some
0:12:18 > 0:12:20friends when the bag was stolen off her trolley.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25A nightmare start to any trip and the losses were reported to go
0:12:25 > 0:12:28well beyond a holiday wardrobe and snorkel set.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32The customer was claiming for around £800 in cash,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35was claiming for some jewellery, which included an engagement
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and wedding ring, and also a high-end mobile phone.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43The value of the claim was approximately £4,000.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47That's a big claim for just one bag, but it was the alleged
0:12:47 > 0:12:50contents of the suitcase which caught Simon's attention.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54I wouldn't say that the cash and the mobile phone were unusual in
0:12:54 > 0:12:58terms of what you would carry around with you, but it was very
0:12:58 > 0:13:01surprising to see her claiming for an engagement and wedding ring
0:13:01 > 0:13:04being in the bag, because naturally you would wear those items.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09The customer had reported the theft to the New Zealand police at
0:13:09 > 0:13:10her first opportunity,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14who would have listed everything claimed to have been stolen.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Due to the value of the claim and the fact that some of the
0:13:18 > 0:13:21high-value items weren't listed on the police report,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24we made a decision to speak to the customer by way of telephone
0:13:24 > 0:13:27interview just so we could get a better understanding of what
0:13:27 > 0:13:28exactly happened.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33The claims handler from Simon's team made the call.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It seemed like a plausible story.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Whilst we were happy with the information the customer
0:13:55 > 0:13:58provided regarding the circumstances of the incident,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01she couldn't accurately describe to us why all these high-value
0:14:01 > 0:14:04items were missing off the police report.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The police in New Zealand were contacted to clear up the confusion,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11but it led to a shocking discovery.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15The police officer we spoke to was extremely helpful,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17but he did tell us that, in fact,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19the customer had had her bag returned
0:14:19 > 0:14:23to her some three weeks prior to her contacting us to make the claim.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27This obviously begged the question why the customer was claiming
0:14:27 > 0:14:30for the bag and its entire contents.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Armed with this information, we decided to get back in
0:14:33 > 0:14:36contact with the customer to ask her about the situation.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The claimant was given an opportunity to come clean.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58So, the tight-lipped claimant wasn't going to be much help,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01despite the overwhelming evidence.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06The police had told us that she had had the bag and the contents
0:15:06 > 0:15:09returned to her some three weeks prior to making the claim
0:15:09 > 0:15:14and, therefore, we wanted to know why she, in essence, lied to us about the situation.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18The call handler uses that fact to challenge the claimant.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49One explanation that the customer provided was that she knew we
0:15:49 > 0:15:52were going to make enquiries with the police, so she didn't tell us
0:15:52 > 0:15:55any information about what the police had done.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It's the equivalent of having a car crash and relying on a
0:15:58 > 0:16:01witness to report the accident.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29But the claimant was determined to get something for nothing.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32She still said to us that we should pay her for the items that
0:16:32 > 0:16:36were in the bag, but ultimately we'd already been told by the
0:16:36 > 0:16:39police that she had the bag returned with all the items in it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57After telling the customer that we knew that she had had the bag
0:16:57 > 0:17:00returned to her with the contents, she did actually decide to admit
0:17:00 > 0:17:04that she did receive the bag back, but there were no contents in it.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26It was hardly a full confession, but the investigator was finally
0:17:26 > 0:17:28starting to get a handle on the truth.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32We made it very clear to the customer that we knew that
0:17:32 > 0:17:36the bag and its contents had been returned to her.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Well, he can and with good reason he did.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59The customer was extremely naive, because she didn't feel that we
0:17:59 > 0:18:02would make further enquiries into her claim.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Opportunists continue to underestimate insurers
0:18:05 > 0:18:10and this claimant was lucky to avoid a criminal prosecution.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I honestly don't think some customers who make fraudulent
0:18:13 > 0:18:17claims do realise the gravity of what they're doing.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Fraud is a criminal offence at the end of the day and you could
0:18:20 > 0:18:24get a criminal prosecution as a result of insurance fraud.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Whatever your favoured mode of public transport,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35we all hope to be carried from A to B safely.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39However, accidents do happen and most passengers are honest
0:18:39 > 0:18:42about any injuries sustained, but some look to leech off
0:18:42 > 0:18:45transport companies by exaggerating injuries
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and submitting fraudulent claims.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58With some 6,300 buses on the road, the odd incident is inevitable.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Just like one which fraud prevention officer Julie Randle dealt with
0:19:01 > 0:19:04involving two of their double-deckers.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09We were presented with several personal injury claims
0:19:09 > 0:19:11for a very minor accident involving one of our buses
0:19:11 > 0:19:14clipping the back windscreen of another one of our buses.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18It was a genuine accident, our driver simply misjudged his distance
0:19:18 > 0:19:22when pulling out and it made a small crack to the windscreen.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Unfortunate, but looking on the bright side,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27at least no-one was hurt. Or so they thought.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30We were extremely surprised to receive eight injury claims
0:19:30 > 0:19:34come through as a result of an extremely minor accident,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37with a total valuation of around £200,000.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41An astonishing figure considering the slight nature
0:19:41 > 0:19:43of the reported prang.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47So it didn't take FirstGroup long to make a decision.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49We repudiated all of the claims.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Two claims persisted and that was a mother and her daughter.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56The claimant alleged that she sustained soft tissue injuries
0:19:56 > 0:19:58to her neck, her upper back and her shoulders.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02She alleged that she couldn't do her cooking, domestic chores,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05she couldn't pick her child up.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The child had injuries to her neck as well
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and it was alleged she had time off school.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The reported condition of the mother and daughter
0:20:14 > 0:20:15required immediate attention.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18She alleged her injuries were so severe that she had to undergo
0:20:18 > 0:20:21a course of physiotherapy treatment
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and she had to go on lighter duties at work.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25With such significant injuries,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28this wasn't going to be a cheap claim to settle.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31We valued her claim in the region of around £30,000.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33This would be made up of treatment fees
0:20:33 > 0:20:36of her physical and her psychological injuries,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and her loss of earnings.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43And it would appear that brute force exerted by a single bus wing mirror
0:20:43 > 0:20:46was far more than anybody could have imagined.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The claimant alleged that the incident was so serious
0:20:49 > 0:20:52that she was thrown around in her seat and she had to hold on
0:20:52 > 0:20:55to the bar in front to stop herself from falling.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It must have been quite the impact.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Luckily, all FirstGroup buses are packed with CCTV cameras.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09When we looked at the footage, we were expecting to see
0:21:09 > 0:21:12several passengers moving from their seats, thrown to the floor,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14jolted backwards and forwards.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18So let's have a look at this alleged driving disaster.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19Viewer discretion is advised
0:21:19 > 0:21:23as you may find some of what you're about to see shocking.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28SQUEAKING
0:21:28 > 0:21:31OK, not quite the devastation we expected.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32Nothing happened.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35If you look very closely to your top right,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38there's the wing mirror of the bus pulling out
0:21:38 > 0:21:41as it glances the back window of the one in front.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45There was no movement, there was laughing and joking,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and most people were unaware that a collision had occurred.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51This lady's alleged that she was
0:21:51 > 0:21:54thrown backwards and forwards in her seat.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57She had to grab the bar in front to stop herself from falling off.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Looking at the footage and she doesn't move!
0:22:01 > 0:22:05So not quite the chaos the claimant had described.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Having viewed the footage, it was clear that all eight claimants
0:22:08 > 0:22:10had completely fabricated their claims.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13There was no injuries caused by the coming together of two buses.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17It was extremely minor damage and we were never going to pay out.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And a little digging revealed that this claimant
0:22:19 > 0:22:21had an interesting past.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Having checked out this lady's claims history,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28lo and behold, she had not just one claim but three claims
0:22:28 > 0:22:30in the few years prior to our incident.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34She was well versed in the claims process and it was no surprise to us
0:22:34 > 0:22:36that she was trying it on with us.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Despite the conclusive evidence,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41the claimant refused to put the brakes on her claim,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44but there was no way FirstGroup were rolling over on this one.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47With overwhelming evidence,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50we decided we were going to see these two claims through.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54We instructed our solicitors to deal on our behalf and we were going
0:22:54 > 0:22:56to take it through the courts.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58The case proceeded to trial.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01As you'd probably expect, having seen the CCTV footage,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04the judge was not taken in by her lies and her deceit.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Not only was the claim thrown out, but the judge said,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and I quote, "It is as clear as a pikestaff
0:23:09 > 0:23:12"that this claimant has been fundamentally dishonest
0:23:12 > 0:23:14"in pursuing their claim."
0:23:14 > 0:23:17There was no doubt this was a grossly exaggerated claim
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and the woman wasn't going to be allowed to walk away
0:23:20 > 0:23:22from this transport treachery.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Yes, it was a great result, but we were never going to leave it there.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30We are now pursuing this claimant for nearly £15,000 in costs.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33A high price, you might think, for trying to make a quick buck.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Now, earlier we followed Neil Thomas from Accident Exchange
0:23:41 > 0:23:44on a mission to Africa to retrieve a stolen Lexus 4x4
0:23:44 > 0:23:47which had been obtained with a bogus car insurance claim.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Thanks to a hi-tech tracker fitted to the Lexus,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53a huge criminal operation had been uncovered
0:23:53 > 0:23:56leading to the discovery of dozens of vehicles
0:23:56 > 0:23:58that had been stolen from UK roads.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Authorities seized the vehicles
0:24:00 > 0:24:02and loaded them on a cargo ship bound for the UK,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and they were attracting quite a bit of attention en route.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13A haul of 28 luxury cars stolen to order
0:24:13 > 0:24:16have been recovered by police at Southampton docks
0:24:16 > 0:24:20in what authorities say is one of the biggest recoveries of its kind.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25On 22nd March 2016, almost a year after illegally leaving the UK,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29the cars sailed into Southampton, eagerly awaited by Neil
0:24:29 > 0:24:34and officers from the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37So this really is an unprecedented international operation,
0:24:37 > 0:24:42working with the National Crime Agency, NaVCIS, who are the police,
0:24:42 > 0:24:47Interpol and the Ugandan authorities.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52This is the first time that cars have been repatriated from Africa,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54but it's more than the Lexus. It's more than one car.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's 20-plus cars that are coming back,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00all with victims, all of which started in the UK.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03The vehicles are carefully unloaded.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07The final container to be opened contains the Lexus.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Neil and NaVCIS police officer Nathan Ricketts watch and anxiously wait.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18This is the Lexus. This is the first time we've seen it
0:25:18 > 0:25:20since it's been back in the UK.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Looks very dusty but well strapped in.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Certainly better strapped in than it was with the thieves, I would guess.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Great to see it back.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Having travelled around 30,000 miles across six countries,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39the Lexus is finally back in Neil's possession,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42giving him the opportunity to give it a proper once-over.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47A little bit of cosmetic damage, a few scuffs,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49but the general condition,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54considering the amount of miles it's covered, is absolutely amazing.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57This was done by a professional gang changing the identity
0:25:57 > 0:26:01and they looked to get as much money as they can from reselling the car,
0:26:01 > 0:26:06and with this, probably, they'd probably get £30,000-£40,000.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08And that's just one car.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13It's estimated that collectively over £700,000 worth of vehicles
0:26:13 > 0:26:15have been repatriated.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Nathan is the NaVCIS officer in charge of receiving
0:26:18 > 0:26:20the rest of the high-end motors.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25That container was the last container
0:26:25 > 0:26:27for us to open and remove the cars.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29That's the car that started all this off.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33If there wasn't a tracking device in it, we wouldn't have all the vehicles here that we can see.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The recovery of these vehicles will hit the gang hard.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The disruption in relation to criminality has been huge.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41The criminals have lost their profit.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44They've sent those vehicles there to be sold to make their money.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46We've taken them vehicles back now,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48so there's frustrating members of that group,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49there will be infighting, arguing,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53people who've paid out on vehicles and they haven't got them because we've taken them.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The repatriation is not only good news for the owners of the vehicles,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59but also UK motor insurers,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02who very nearly lost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03The benefit to the UK as well,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06the insurance industry will be getting obviously the massive losses
0:27:06 > 0:27:07that they pay out on these vehicles,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09a big chunk of money will be coming back to them,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and four vehicles actually didn't have an insurance pay-out,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14so four people are going to get their cars back.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I'm really satisfied with how this has gone, but I know
0:27:16 > 0:27:19there's a lot more work to do and I think we've got more work
0:27:19 > 0:27:22to get stuck into to identify and arrest the people involved.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25From the thieves' point of view, this should send a strong signal
0:27:25 > 0:27:27that they can be tracked globally
0:27:27 > 0:27:29and we're bringing the fight to them.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And there's one particular individual who investigators
0:27:32 > 0:27:36are very keen to locate and that's the claimant who submitted
0:27:36 > 0:27:39the fraudulent insurance claim to get his hands on the Lexus
0:27:39 > 0:27:42that started this entire investigation.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45To this date, we haven't been able to get in touch with the client.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47He has disappeared,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51so I'm convinced that he'll have a few questions to answer
0:27:51 > 0:27:54when the police finally catch up with him.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02From organised criminal gangs to exaggerated household claims,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05insurance fraud hits all of us in the pocket.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09But instead of getting away with it, more and more of these fraudsters
0:28:09 > 0:28:11are being Claimed and Shamed.