A father and kid duo from Leicester scammed motorist out of more than ₤ 60,000 by offering worthless car insurance coverage that left lots uninsured.
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Ilyas Rauf charged unsuspecting consumers up to ₤ 300 for void policies, which left chauffeurs facing potential fines and automobile seizures, while secretly sharing thousands of pounds with his kid Amer Ilyas.
In the rip-off, phony insurance middlemen will claim they can get you vehicle or home insurance as a discount rate.
They might either turn over a fake policy or an authentic one, which they consequently cancel to keep the refund for themselves.
Alternatively, they get a genuine policy with incorrect details to bring the premium down - which would likely leave it void must you attempt to make a claim.
Rauf, 51, made ₤ 61,763 from August 2016 to January 2020 by supplying created employment letters to secure reduced premiums for his victims.
Between September 2019 and June 2020, he shared more than ₤ 11,000 of his profits with his 28-year-old son, who was offered the job of hiring victims through social networks.
The dad and kid were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court for fraud offenses
The National Crime Agency formerly shared a series of mocked-up Instagram advertisements using '100% legit insurance coverage ensured to beat any rate' to show motorists what to keep an eye out for
An examination discovered he used letters from a company called Eastern Catering to fraudulently obtain no claims discount rates.
He wrongly claimed his clients had actually worked for the business for numerous years without crashes or insurance coverage claims.
It was later on found that the address Eastern Catering was signed up to was the very same used by Rauf to offer the fake policies.
Police discovered that his child had likewise messaged 31 contacts about insurance coverage on his phone between October 2015 to March 2021, typically informing customers that his father would offer quotes for them the next day.
Amer Ilyas would then inform victims to visit the office or send pictures of bank cards for processing of payment.
Rauf was linked to 52 deceptive motor insurance plan across 4 different insurance companies.
Ilyas Rauf's bro Ziaed was captured on CCTV getting rid of 2 computers from the office while police robbed his nephew's home.
Four phone calls had been made in between the siblings before Ziaed Rauf unsuccessfully tried to obstruct a CCTV cam and fled.
Ziaed was captured on CCTV removing 2 computer systems from the office while cops robbed his nephew's home.
Ziaed Rauf unsuccessfully attempted to block a CCTV cam and fled
How to prevent falling victim to 'ghost brokers'
Karl Parr, from AXA UK, said clients can safeguard themselves by following the below recommendations:
• Steer clear of purchasing insurance coverage promoted through social media platforms and instant messaging apps.
• Beware of insurance coverage brokers who market their services in private community online forums or through advertisements in public places like clubs, cafes or newsagents.
• Don't engage with insurance coverage brokers who ask for payment in money or through bank transfers. Reputable brokers will use payment options through an online website.
• Avoid insurance coverage brokers who utilize personal e-mail addresses or smart phone numbers to sell policies.
• If you're fretted about a policy you have actually purchased or the details do not look right, get in touch with the insurance coverage company straight - don't use the details offered by the broker.
• To guarantee you're dealing with an authorised insurance broker, inspect the Financial Conduct Authority's site or the British Insurance Brokers' Association websit.
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Their fraud was discovered when financial detectives discovered that he e declared to have made ₤ 27,366 from 2016 to 2020 regardless of filching more than ₤ 61,000 from the insurance scams alone.
When questioned by cops, his child told officers he could not remember being provided cash by his dad and claimed he did not understand what it was for.
The three men appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, June 6.
Ilyas Rauf, 51, of Normanton Road, Highfields, Leicester, pleaded guilty to scams by incorrect representation, breaching the Financial Services and Markets Act and moving criminal residential or commercial property and was imprisoned for 21 months.
Amer Ilyas, 28, also of Normanton Road, pleaded guilty to cash laundering offences and was given 16 weeks jail time, suspended for 12 months. He was also bought to complete 100 hours of overdue work.
Ziaed Rauf, 47, of Thurnview Road, Evington, Leicester, was provided 18 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and was bought to finish 120 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice.
The current figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reveal the price of the average vehicle insurance plan in January to March 2025 was ₤ 589, a 6 per cent drop from the year before.
However, premiums stay more expensive today than 2 years ago, with the typical policy ₤ 478 in January to March 2023 - 23 per cent less than the first quarter of 2025.
It follows a dramatic rise in social networks and email hacking reports last year, according to Action Fraud.
A total of 35,434 reports were made to the scams and cyber crime reporting service in 2024, compared to 22,530 in 2023.
Hacking methods consist of scammers gaining control of an account and impersonating the owner to convince others to reveal authentication codes.
The frauds, called 'ghost broking' are frequently promoted on social media, promising low-cost quotes for a vehicle insurance coverage policy.
Car insurance plan have dropped over the in 2015, but are still stay traditionally high
The automobile insurance coverage quotes that ARE too great to be true: Warning over surge in 'ghost brokers'
Many victims believe they are being messaged by a good friend.
The most typical motives for social media hacking were financial investment scams, ticket fraud or theft, Action Fraud said.
Fraudsters can likewise get account details through phishing scams or information breaches.
People typically utilize the same password across accounts, so when one is leaked numerous accounts are left vulnerable.
Action Fraud has actually released a project, supported by Meta, to motivate individuals to take extra online defense by allowing two-step confirmation.
Victims typically don't realise they have actually been scammed up until they try to claim on their policy or if they occur to be dropped in authorities and asked to show their insurance coverage files.
Karl Parr, Claims Technical Director, AXA UK, told MailOnline: 'Ghost brokers normally provide premium rates far cheaper than customers can discover in other places.
'Remember, if something sounds too great to be true, it probably is.'
Young motorist Wayne Simpson bought a cheap vehicle insurance policy on social networks before realising it was phony after he was not able to claim following a crash, landing him with a loss of ₤ 500.
Young driver Wayne Simpson purchased a low-cost car insurance coverage on social networks before understanding it was fake after he was not able to claim following a crash, landing him with a loss of ₤ 500
'We phoned Aviva and they told me there wasn't a policy secured in my name which the number we had provided them was not a number they would utilize,' he informed Sky News.
'That's when the dust settles, and you realise it's been a fraud.'
Mr Simpson stated the insurance coverage files looked so that they handled to fool a policeman at the scene of the crash.
'She said," Your automobile's not appearing as guaranteed". Immediately I went to my glove box, pulled the insurance coverage documents, showed her the files and she checked out through it and said," That's totally fine",' he stated.
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Father-son Duo 'ghost Brokers' Scammed Drivers Out Of ₤ 60k.
wilburnbfw990 edited this page 2025-06-17 17:41:28 -06:00