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Five men get prison terms over £1.1m crash-for-cash scam

Five men get prison terms over £1.1m crash-for-cash scam A company boss and four accomplices involved in a crash-for-cash scam have received jail terms.

prison

The network of 19 criminals induced car collisions to generate £1.1m in fake personal injury claims.

The network of 19 criminals induced car collisions to generate £1.1m in fake personal injury claims, which were made through an accident management firm based in Hertfordshire and run by the ringleader.

In total, it was estimated that the operation had caused up to 300 collisions. After multiple court cases over several months, the operation to convict the network concluded earlier this month at Harrow Crown Court where the gang received prison terms ranging from 16 months to 4.5 years.

An investigation by the Met Police, codenamed Operation Kernow, was started in 2012 when suspicion was raised about a claim involving SAS Accident management. Significantly, a telematics box had been installed in the ‘lead’ car, which provided data on the fake crash.

The data was analysed and interpreted by fraud investigation experts at APU Ltd, who gave evidence which was deemed so compelling in court that further prosecution witnesses were no longer required.

The judge of the trial, HH J Barrie, said: “The idea that crash-for-cash frauds are victimless crimes has to be rebuffed immediately. The impact of this offending on the insurance industry is substantial and this in turn leads to routine increases in insurance premiums for the wider public.

“The manner of the driving in the collisions is inherently dangerous involving the sudden slamming on of brakes in traffic, often at night and often in poor weather conditions. Unlike the fraudsters, the innocent occupants of the cars behind have no opportunity to prepare or brace themselves for the impact.

“Moreover no regard is had at all for the occupants of those cars or their vulnerability. In short, the risk to innocent members of the public of serious injury or worse cannot be underestimated in this type of fraud involving deliberate dangerous driving.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.