Three suspected identity fraudsters have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police marking the Insurance Fraud Bureau’s (IFB) first involvement in one of the UK’s biggest investigations into identity fraud.
Working alongside the Metropolitan Police’s Amberhill Unit, the IFB has started to investigate the insurance records of suspected identity fraudsters – individuals who have obtained a genuine driving licence using false or forged documents. As a result, three men were arrested in May 2012.
As part of a pilot project, the IFB is investigating the insurance histories of 579 suspected identity fraudsters across the UK. IFB intelligence has already linked that sample of people to insurance claims now considered to be at ‘high-risk’ of fraud – amounting to potential scams worth in excess of £170,000. The IFB has issued alerts to its customers who may be affected by the scams as investigations continue.
Phil Bird, Director of the IFB, said: “People who commit identity fraud are inevitably involved in other forms of manipulation and criminal activity. IFB investigations on just a small sample of suspects have proved that these people are using their false identities to purchase insurance and make fraudulent claims.
“IFB intelligence has already helped the Metropolitan Police to track down and arrest three suspects and we are working with our insurer customers to uncover related insurance scams. It is another good example of how the IFB is able to tackle insurance fraud from a number of different angles.”
Detective Inspector Gary Miles, of the Metropolitan Police’s Amberhill Unit, said: “The partnership work between Amberhill and the IFB has proved pivotal in identifying a number of suspects who have had live insurance policies and claims. This in turn has enabled the perpetrators to be identified, arrested and has led to financials savings being identified.”
