LV nabs crash-for-cash insurance cheat using Facebook
A man has been jailed for 18 months after his insurance company trawled Facebook to establish he'd fraudulently claimed for a car crash. Adam Islam, 24, had said he didn't know the man who wrote off his replica Ferrari when he claimed £29,000 in 2014 for the smash in east London. But LV investigators found pictures of the two together on Facebook showing they were "well acquainted". That prompted a crash-for-cash investigation that led to Islam admitting he staged the accident. His accomplice was given a 12-month suspended sentence.

The two men pretended they didn't know each other, but investigations revealed they were "well acquainted"

Cash for crash fraudster caught out by Facebook pictures posing with man he accused of hitting fake Ferrari

A 'cash for crash' fraudster was caught out by Facebook pictures showing him posing with the man he accused of hitting his fake Ferrari.

The pair's friendship was discovered after Adam Islam, 24, received a hefty £29,000 payout from insurers.

But Islam, of Southwold Drive, Barking, was jailed for 18 months for fraud after claims he didn't know the driver who crashed into him were revealed as a lies.

Islam told insurers he did not know the identity of the driver who smashed into his fake Ferarri when he claimed for £29,000 from LV insurance in September 2014.

But investigators quickly found Facebook photographs showing him with Mohammed Khayer - the man who had just written off his car.

Khayer, 27, was also charged with fraud, but Judge Stephen Dawson spared him prison, giving him a 12 month suspended sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

They initially denied staging the crash, but they pleaded guilty to making a false claim.

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Islam told LV he had pulled over on Eldred Road, Barking, Essex, after the battery on his phone had run out.

He said Khayer then crashed into him in the Audi A1 he had rented earlier that day from Sixt rental company.

As the vehicle at fault was insured by the hire company, Khayer would incur no personal cost by accepting liability for the accident and could split the hefty insurance pay-out with Islam.

Mark Stanger, prosecuting, said: "Khayer made a telephone call to Sixt to report he had been involved in a traffic accident in the east end of London.

"But there was a charade being carried out.

"Islam and Khayer pretended they didn't know each other.

"Later the same day Islam said he had been involved in a traffic accident in a Toyota MR2, which he'd done up as a replica Ferrari.

"He said an Audi had driven into him, and he was involved in a non-fault accident which was a matter he could make an insurance claim with his insurers LV.

"Accident Exchange visited Islam to take a witness statement, where he said that the man driving the Audi had said he swerved to avoid hitting a cat or a fox. "

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The court heard that Khayer backed him up, and that an investigation revealed that the two were well acquainted.

Mark Stanger added: "They had co-advertised a van together on the internet and there were photos of them together on Facebook.

"Meanwhile, LV had unwittingly issued a cheque to Islam for £29,000.

"He took that cheque to the Money Shop and cashed it in."

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Judge Stephen Dawson told the pair: "Ironically the detriment of this is to the public because the insurers raise their premiums, passing on their losses.

"This was a relatively sophisticated offence by both of you.

"You both had to agree on your story to give to the fraudulent information to the insurance companies.

"We all end up paying more for car insurance because of fraud of this sort. "

He said it means the trust that the public are given by insurance companies is eroded.

Islam, of Southwold Drive, Barking was given 18 months in jail for fraud.

Khayer, of Brixham Gardens, Ilford, was given a 12 month sentence suspended for two years.