Serial ‘Crash for Cash’ fraudster sentenced after causing deliberate collisions on public roads

On Thursday 17 December 2020, 33-year-old Shehzad Saeed was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after five ‘Crash for Cash’ attempts in the West Midlands area, following an investigation by City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) supported by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB)

It was revealed that Saeed’s scams involved several staged and induced motor collisions which left innocent road users at risk of harm and four insurers facing fraudulent claims valued at over £35,000.

He also abused his position as Director of a car hire company to produce fake engineer reports detailing vehicle damage to support fraudulent insurance claims and attributed these to an innocent engineer who was confirmed to be on holiday at the time of the alleged inspection.

Saeed received a two-year suspended sentence, a requirement to complete 240 hours unpaid work and has been ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

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

“Mr Saeed would lure innocent people into car crashes so he could make some quick cash at the expense of their distress. Thanks to the collaborative work of the IFB, IFED and the wider insurance industry, we were able to detect these shameless ‘Crash for Cash’ scams and take action. This sentencing should serve as a clear message to anyone thinking about committing fraud that they will be caught and face justice.”

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 investigation on City of London Police’s news page.