An organised fraudster, who submitted fraudulent motor claims to insurers during 2016-2017, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 12 months, plus 150 hours of unpaid work following a cross-industry investigation and cross-claim linking evidence being uncovered by the Intelligence Team at international law firm DAC Beachcroft.
Saami Salami (54), also known as Martin Allen, of Brent, northwest London, pleaded guilty to two counts of Fraud by False Misrepresentation after he set up motor insurance policies for other people and then made false claims for road traffic accidents against them.
Instructed by Markerstudy Insurance Services Limited (MISL) to investigate one of the claims, DAC Beachcroft's Intelligence Team provided investigative support to the Counter Fraud lawyer. Investigations identified that the alleged third party vehicle was for sale on a manufacturer's forecourt at the alleged date of accident and had remained under their control throughout. Enquiries further revealed that the engineer's report submitted to support the vehicle damage claim was a shallow-faked version of a previous report the engineer had prepared in 2015, for a claim where Salami was the claimant. The vehicle damage images related to Salami's own vehicle, not the alleged third party vehicle, and deeper enquiries revealed that the same damage had been fraudulently claimed for by Salami on several occasions. Intelligence searches and a forensic analysis of file notes and disclosure documents revealed multiple evidential links between Salami, the inception of MISL’s policy and the submission of the third party's claim. All of these links and investigation findings were evidenced in an over-arching witness statement provided by DAC Beachcroft's Intelligence Analyst, in support of the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department's successful criminal investigation.
Commenting on the outcome, Natalie Randall, Deputy Head of Intelligence at DAC Beachcroft, said, "Salami believed he had a right to financially gain by defrauding insurers but fortunately our intelligence analysis and investigative capability proved more powerful. His guilty plea demonstrates the strength of evidence against him. The time taken to secure this outcome should serve as a warning to others that we are committed to pursuing organised fraudsters through to conviction, no matter how long it takes."
Neil Wood, National Counter Claims Fraud Manager at MISL, added, “Fraud within the industry affects us all, so it’s important that we stay agile to safeguard our businesses, industry and ultimately our customers. This case is a fantastic result, showcasing that through cross-industry collaboration, hard work, and determination to challenge we can defeat organised fraud.”
Detective Constable Surinder Ram, from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), said, “Salami thought he was onto a winner by submitting fraudulent claims to multiple insurance companies in an attempt to make a profit. What he didn’t realise is that bogus claims don’t go unnoticed and insurers will pick up on red flags like fraudulent documents. Thanks to the due diligence from our industry partners, we were able to build a criminal case against Salami and put him before the courts. This collaborative approach between the insurance industry and law enforcement means that together we can protect honest policyholders and bring criminals to justice.”
Claire Laver, partner and Head of Fraud at CSG, DACB's claims business, commented, "Our thanks go to Markerstudy Insurance Services Limited for their instructions and robust stance taken in this matter, but thanks also go to the many insurers and suppliers who collaborated throughout this investigation, enabling the strong evidential case to be submitted to IFED for prosecution. This was a great example of the industry working together to combat organised insurance fraud."
