Three men jailed following dangerous 50mph 'Crash for Cash' collision

Three Londoners have been jailed after deliberately causing a collision on a busy A-road which resulted in an innocent driver crashing into the back of their car at 50mph. 

The group had attempted to claim £49,869.50 from motor insurers. However, CCTV footage and inconsistencies in the accounts of the men raised alarm bells with the insurer, who referred the case to City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department and the IFB. 

The group were sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Friday 17 September 2021 as follows: 

• Kudrat Azizi, 34, of Poppy Court, Headstone Drive, Harrow, 20 months imprisonment.

• Ghulem Haider, 33, of Tadworth Road, Brent, 12 months imprisonment.

• Miatullah Marufkhail, 29, of Railway Approach, Harrow, 9 months imprisonment.

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

“These calculating ‘Crash for Cash’ fraudsters fuelled by their selfish greed, clearly had no care for the pain and distress they caused their victim to suffer. I’m pleased that this gang has been brought to justice and that innocent road users in Hertfordshire are protected from the harm they posed. ‘Crash for Cash’ fraud will never be tolerated, and we are working closely with IFED and the insurance industry to put a stop to these appalling car crash scams.”

The scam which took place in Hertfordshire saw the three fraudsters using two vehicles in a convoy, where the one in front would act as a decoy to divert suspicion by slamming the brakes so the innocent driver at the back of the queue of cars would crash into the second vehicle. 

'Crash for Cash' scams are a serious problem in the UK. Recent analysis by the IFB shows that over 170,000 motor insurance claims made over a 15-month period were suspected of being potentially linked to the dangerous scam. 

The IFB is urging members of the public to report evidence of insurance fraud to its CheatLine (powered by CrimeStoppers) on 0800 422 0421 or at www.insurancefraudbureau.org/cheatline

Find out more about this latest sentencing on City of London Police's Media Centre.