A man who illegally promoted services as an insurance broker on social media has received a custodial sentence following an investigation led by City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), supported by the IFB.

Touqir Nasir, 30, of Runley Road, Luton, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on 28 April 2025 to one year in prison, after previously pleading guilty to ten counts of fraud by false representation and breaching the Financial Services and Markets Act.

The case was first referred to IFED by the IFB after a public CheatLine report helped to uncover that Nasir had been using Instagram to advertise cheap car insurance which was not genuine, in an act known as ‘Ghost Broking’.

The investigation discovered Nasir had also used false information to take out ten temporary insurance policies for three vehicles he used.

An IFED search at Nasir’s home address resulted in £16,000 in cash being seized and since forfeited, while seized devices belonging to Nasir showed that he had been accessing Instagram accounts linked to fraudulent insurance sales.

Nicola Smith, Intelligence and Investigations Manager at the IFB, said:

"We're pleased to see that this fraudster has faced justice for their unacceptable actions. Sales of fake car insurance have a serious impact on victims, as it leaves people out of pocket and risking serious criminal consequences for driving without valid insurance.

"We're collaborating closely with the police and insurers to tackle this issue. If anyone sees a car insurance deal on social media that looks too-good-to-be-true, make sure to report it to our confidential CheatLine."

Find out more at City of London Police News.