Conman jailed after duping firms in £170k car crash scam
JON MACPHERSON
ACONMAN who duped insurance companies into providing replacement cars worth £170,000 after reporting bogus crash claims has been jailed.
Naveed Shah, from Great Harwood, worked with a criminal gang to find cars advertised in Autotrader, take out separate car insurance policies on them and then weeks later claim they had been involved in ‘rear end shunt’ accidents around the country.
Insurance companies provided the conspirators with a ‘high value’ replacement cars some of which were never recovered.
Preston Crown Court heard how Shah, 37, played a ‘significant role’ in the ‘sophisticated enterprise’ which saw insurance firms supply BMWs and Mercedes after false details and ID documents were provided.
Shah, of Blackburn Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to steal and was jailed for two years.
No others members of the gang have been found.
Paul Cummings, prosecuting, said the aim of the gang was to steal ‘good quality motor vehicles’ through ‘many deliberate acts of deception’.
He said: “To make a claim for a replacement vehicle the conspirators had to set up two separate and apparently legitimate car insurance policies.
“Insurance companies were contacted and provided with details of the motor vehicle and the intended insured driver.
“False driver details were given but genuine car details were used so it didn’t arouse suspicion.
“The identity of the vehicles were taken from Autotrader magazine.
“Having obtained two insurance policies they then claimed both cars were involved in road traffic collisions and asked for a replacement vehicle while repairs were being made to one of them.”
Mr Cummings told the court how on one occasion Shah arranged to meet a delivery driver and attempted to distract him by making excuses for being late, receiving ‘apparently genuine calls’ so he had to ‘rush off somewhere’ or claiming he didn’t have the necessary ID documents because he was working away.
The court heard how three of the six replacement cars were never seen again while were recovered. Shah was arrested twice during the scam and committed two further offences while on bail.