Loss adjuster jailed after using stolen identities of relatives for insurance scam

A loss adjuster who used stolen identities of relatives to help him defraud over £160,000 has been jailed.

Justin Boydell was found to have abused his position by submitting a series of fake insurance claims and keeping recovered items after appointing himself as the loss adjuster.

The 51-year-old would also write glowing reviews from his fictitious clients, hailing his professional, proactive and sympathetic service – feedback that boosted his bonus payments.

His fraudulent activities, which spanned eight years from September 2015, were found out after his wife discovered a bank account setup using her maiden name without her permission in July 2023.

She also found documents relating to an insurance claim at her late father’s home, which she knew nothing about.

Boydell, of Careg Llyd, Bridgend, but formerly of Brundall, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on 16 December 2024.

The case

According to Norfolk Police, Boydell would use stolen identities of relatives to open bank accounts and email accounts to take out home insurance policies.

He would proceed to submit high value claims and engineer the circumstances, so he was appointed as the loss adjuster.

And Boydell would then fabricate emails, reports and invoices to support the payout.

“Whilst carrying out his loss adjuster role on genuine claims such as fires and floods, Boydell fabricated additional work which never occurred,” the force said.

“He produced fake invoices and correspondence to support a payout to fictional contractors, subsequently verifying the work and authorising the insurance company to pay the invoices.”

Instead of returning recovered items or selling them on behalf of the insurers, Boydell kept items for himself.

This included a Rolex Submariner watch worth £9,350 and a piece of artwork worth £2,750 found hanging in his home.

The impact

The case was referred to the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

In interview when the allegations were put to him, he said: “I think you have it pretty spot on” and admitted to his part in each of the frauds.

Boydell was sentenced after admitting to seven offences of fraud by false representation and one offence of transferring/converting/concealing criminal property.

He also asked for a further nine offences of fraud by false representation to be taken into consideration by the court.

Boydell was jailed for four year and four months.

In a victim personal statement, his wife said: “My world came crashing down in 2023, when I opened a folder in [Boydell’s] home office containing paperwork, which were bank accounts opened in my name and his step-mother’s name without our knowledge and consent.

“Amongst the paperwork I found fraudulent insurance claims, not only in my name, but even more upsetting and deceitful were false claims made in my deceased father’s name.

“I have struggled to get my head around this and my father is no longer here to defend himself or explain how this has impacted him.”

Further proceedings

The case will now be subject to confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).

These proceedings will ensure the financial benefit obtained by Boydell from his offending is removed.

PC Victoria Church, who led the investigation, said: “Boydell was highly qualified with chartered status and the only one working for his company with sign-off authority for Norfolk.

“He thought he was being clever by creating an elaborate fraud deceiving his employers and insurance companies – but was ultimately discovered and thoroughly investigated.

“He showed no regard for family members by using their identities and went to great lengths to avoid detection, inventing a string of companies usually naming them after variations of his wife’s maiden name.”