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17/06/2008
Forty Charged For 'Cash For Crash' Scam
Forty people have been charged in connection with an alleged £5.3 million insurance fraud after a two-year investigation.
The accused are charged with making false insurance claims following false or staged motor accidents.
The arrests were made during early raids by officers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire as the culmination of a police operation called Exhort in May 2006.
The charges include conspiracy to defraud insurance companies, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and the intimidation of a witness.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has called the method in which criminals try to extract cash from this kind of situation as a 'cash for crash' scam.
Detective Inspector John Mountain, West Yorkshire Police said: "Innocent policy holders are paying for this kind of crime. Fraud increases the average premium by 5% or around £40.
"We will continue to work closely with the Insurance Fraud Bureau and take a robust stance in targeting and disrupting the criminal gangs preying on innocent motorist and the insurance industry."
John Beadle, Chairman of the IFB said: "The insurance industry is no longer an easy touch for these organised fraudsters.
"We know these criminal gangs affect honest motorists in a number of different ways and are ruthless. Through our partnership approach with the Police we will continue to find, expose and pursue those criminals involved in organised insurance fraud."
'Cash for crash' scams involved offenders staging or contriving collisions between themselves or inducing innocent motorists into having collisions.
The IFB say that for each successful scam, criminals can net in excess of £30,000.
Twenty-six defendants are due to appear at Luton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and Wednesday on a range of charges.
Fourteen others are expected to appear before Luton Magistrates on 24 July.
(DS)
The accused are charged with making false insurance claims following false or staged motor accidents.
The arrests were made during early raids by officers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire as the culmination of a police operation called Exhort in May 2006.
The charges include conspiracy to defraud insurance companies, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and the intimidation of a witness.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has called the method in which criminals try to extract cash from this kind of situation as a 'cash for crash' scam.
Detective Inspector John Mountain, West Yorkshire Police said: "Innocent policy holders are paying for this kind of crime. Fraud increases the average premium by 5% or around £40.
"We will continue to work closely with the Insurance Fraud Bureau and take a robust stance in targeting and disrupting the criminal gangs preying on innocent motorist and the insurance industry."
John Beadle, Chairman of the IFB said: "The insurance industry is no longer an easy touch for these organised fraudsters.
"We know these criminal gangs affect honest motorists in a number of different ways and are ruthless. Through our partnership approach with the Police we will continue to find, expose and pursue those criminals involved in organised insurance fraud."
'Cash for crash' scams involved offenders staging or contriving collisions between themselves or inducing innocent motorists into having collisions.
The IFB say that for each successful scam, criminals can net in excess of £30,000.
Twenty-six defendants are due to appear at Luton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and Wednesday on a range of charges.
Fourteen others are expected to appear before Luton Magistrates on 24 July.
(DS)
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