Former police detectives now working for Hastings Direct have used forensics information to help convict a 41 year old teacher of insurance fraud.
After a night out drinking, ‘Mr M’ from Worstershire crashed his £1,500 Volvo on his way home. He then abandoned his car and continued home. The next day when the police came to his house to notify him that his car had been in an accident, Mr M denied driving and said his car had been stolen.
He then filed his claim with Hastings, but the insurer became suspicious after an interview with Mr M and decided to investigate further.
Investigations of his car revealed extensive accident damage, but no evidence of a break in. The matter was then referred to the Worcestershire police, and a forensic examination later showed Mr M’s DNA on the car’s air bag, proving he had been driving at the time of the accident.
All Hastings could tell News Insurances was that Mr M received a “six month sentence in Worcester Magistrates Court”. No further details on the case could be given.
Paul Priestley, head of counter fraud, Hastings Direct said, “We would like to thank the police and the courts for securing this conviction.
“There is a perception that insurance fraud does not hurt anyone, but in fact it hurts everyone financially. On average every car driver in the UK pays over £44 more for their car insurance just because of fraud.
“We have heavily invested in our anti-fraud techniques and our work is both award winning and effective. We believe that this investment is necessary to ensure we are at the forefront of the industry fighting fraud to protect our honest customers.”
Phil Bird at the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) added, “The industry is closing the net on all types of insurance fraud, including cases like this where the attempt is opportunistic in nature. This conviction sends a clear message to anyone attempting to mislead their insurer.”
