A crash for cash fraudster has been sentenced 22 months in prison and disqualified from driving for three years after he attempted to make fraudulent insurance claims for car crashes that he had deliberately caused.
Asif Javed was sentenced on 7 September. He pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this year.
His suspected crash for cash offences against victims who were insured by Aviva were discovered when members of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) raised the alarm. There were also tip offs from members of the public.
The City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) investigated and discovered that Javed caused eight separate collisions on roads with potential losses totalling £22,732.05 between April 2016 and May 2017. Javed insured the five cars involved using two policies from ERS and Ageas.
At three of the crashes, the victims were able to take photos of the driver. These photos were later used by the IFB as evidence to link Javed to various incidents. This, coupled with intelligence from the industry, as well as additional photos shared by other victims on social media, strengthened the case against Javed.
Javed was arrested in November 2017. He said he committed the crash for cash frauds because he got into debt.
Detective constable Daryl Fryatt of IFED said: “In his desperation to make money, Javed set out on a year-long spree of deliberate crashes that put innocent members of the public at risk.”
“He had no regard for the safety of those around him and crimes like his have contributed to the rise in premiums for insurance holders. His greed has resulted in another successful conviction for IFED. Crash for cash offences are taken very seriously and fraudsters will be stopped.”
Jason Potter, head of investigations at the IFB, praised the work of the insurance industry in helping to secure the conviction against Javed. He said: “This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the industry to stamping out this type of criminal activity. This sentencing should serve as a clear message to would-be fraudsters that they will pay the price for their selfish and abhorrent behaviour.”
Carl Mather, special investigations unit manager at Aviva, commented: “Aviva is relentless in its pursuit of fraudsters who have such disregard and is determined to work in partnership with other insurers and law enforcement to secure appropriate sanctions. This sentence will reinforce the message to others considering committing fraud that Aviva, IFB and the Police are working together to share information and ensure fraudsters are brought to justice for their reckless acts.”
Ageas and ERS issued policies for cars used in the frauds. Robin Challand, claims director at Ageas, said: “When someone decides to deliberately crash their car to defraud an insurance company they are risking hurting innocent road users and stealing from the other policyholders. Ageas works tirelessly alongside IFED and IFB to stop scams like these and we’re delighted that justice has been done today.”
Steve Gaywood, head of counter Fraud for ERS, added: “The conviction secured here shows the value, and importance, of continuous collaboration between insurers and IFED in identifying, investigating and ultimately bringing to justice those who think that they are above the law. Our zero-tolerance approach to fraud will always see us pursue criminal action in order to defend honest motorists against this type of crime.”
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