Context
The IFED has publicised arrests after alleged fake death, multiple false transport claims and forged medical documents, following a nationwide enforcement period targeting travel insurance fraud. Officers executed warrants across the country, conducting house searches and interviews. The team also made arrests as part of an operation to identify and disrupt opportunistic fraudsters seeking to exploit the insurance system with dishonest travel claim
Key points to note and next actions
- The activity resulted in three arrests, four voluntary interviews, and two cease and desist notices. All arrests were followed by interviews under caution.
The identified insurance fraud included:
- Three settled claims totalling £22,000, where a suspect alleged multiple bereavements to justify repeated holiday cancellations. Following an interview, the suspect made a full confession and has agreed to repay the insurers in full.
- Suspicion of fraud by false representation by a suspect after he allegedly faked his own death to support an insurance claim, claiming to have drowned while travelling in Nigeria.
- Suspicion of fraud by false representation, after allegedly submitting 37 claims for missed or delayed transport that are now suspected to be fraudulent.
- A defendant pleading guilty to fraud by false representation in relation to a travel insurance claim, supported by fabricated Caribbean medical treatment documents, and to money laundering.
Over the past five years, IFED has received 102 referrals for travel insurance fraud. The insurer-estimated value of these frauds totalled £4,404,334.42, averaging of £44,942.19 per case.