A police chief has warned of a surge in normally law-abiding people fiddling insurance claims.
Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish said a significant number were made by “opportunists” who exaggerate claims or omit relevant history.
City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department have now hit their 433rd conviction since 2012. Courts gave out a further 108 years in suspended sentences, 13,355 hours in community orders and over £100,000 in fines.
Det Chief Insp Mullish said: “While some may think insurance fraud is a victimless crime, this simply isn’t the case. It costs the insurance industry billions each year, which in turn raises the cost of premiums for everyone.”
Small-time opportunists may receive non-custodial sentences, but serious criminals may face prison.
Ruksana Ashraf, 44, of Edinburgh, posed as a survivor of the Grenfell Tower blaze, the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge attack, trying to claim £179,000.
She was sentenced to three years in jail after admitting fraud and money laundering last month.
