Two men are found guilty of causing seven collisions and linked to 76 other cases
Two people from Reading have been jailed after being found guilty of an organised ‘crash for cash’ scam.
Nasir Mahmood, 32, was sentenced to four years in prison, while Aniela Chaudhry, 39, was sentenced to 21 months. A third gang member, Bernie Bautista, will be sentenced on 28 August.
The two were found guilty of using two vehicles in convoy to cause seven bogus collisions across the Thames Valley and Metropolitan Police.
A police also found paperwork evidence that linked them to a further 76 collisions at Chaudhry’s Reading home. Forensic evidence linked the material to Mahmood, who was organising the collisions.
Insurance Fraud Bureau director Ben Fletcher said: “Crash for cash is a national problem that costs almost £400m each year and puts innocent road users in harm’s way. The notion of a ‘victimless crime’ is outdated and the prison terms handed down today rightfully reflect the severity of the offence.”
Latest figures from the ABI estimate the total value of detected insurance fraud at £1.3bn a year, which adds about £50 to the cost of household insurance.
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