Motor insurance employee sentenced after unauthorised selling of personal data

A motor insurance employee has been sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, in a prosecution brought by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) following an investigation which was supported by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).

Kim Doyle, 33, who worked for the RAC, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 8 January 2021 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to computer data and to selling unlawfully obtained data.

The court heard that Doyle would compile lists of road traffic accident data including partial names, contact details and registration information and transfer information to William Shaw, Director of an accidents claims management company, TMS (Stratosphere), trading as LIS claims, resulting in nuisance calls to affected individuals.

Shaw, 32, was also sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended to two years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to computer data.

Under the Proceeds of Crimes Act to recover benefit gained through unlawful means, the Court has ordered Doyle to pay a sum of £25,000, whilst Shaw must pay £15,000.

Stephen Dalton, Head of Intelligence and Investigations at the IFB, said:

“Data theft is a key facilitator of fraud and has a serious impact on insurers and their customers. We welcome news that Doyle and Shaw have been successfully prosecuted. This case should serve as a clear warning that the insurance industry has the tools and resources in place to catch-out all manners of fraud and criminals will be brought to justice.”

The offence first came to light following an alert from a fleet management company that one of its drivers had been receiving calls about an accident, prompting suspicions of a data leak and subsequent investigation.

Anyone with evidence of an insurance scam can report it to the IFB’s confidential CheatLine via an online form or at 0800 422 0421.

Find out more about the case on the ICO’s news page.