Luton ‘ghost broker’ who set up fake companies is jailed

The policies covered approximately 70 different vehicles, some of which had been involved in criminal activity.

Following an investigation by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), Suhail Hussain, 29, of Armitage Gardens, Luton, was sentenced to two years in prison at Inner London Crown Court on Monday.

Between December 2013 and February 2016, Hussain registered seven fraudulent companies with Companies House and also used stolen details of five legitimate companies, both with the aim of buying fake fleet insurance policies.

When setting up some of the fake companies, Hussain lied about being a solicitor, and this was proven false by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). A statement from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also confirmed that he wasn’t authorised to act as an insurance broker.

By taking out fleet policies, he could add numerous vehicles onto them for a fraction of the price of real cover.

Some of the vehicles his policies covered had been involved in criminal activity, and it’s believed they were added to these policies to make them harder to trace.

Hussain bought 10 insurance fleet policies, worth a total value of approximately £60,000, and over 70 different vehicles were added to them.

IFED also discovered that Hussain had used the details of two real companies to make fraudulent insurance claims for two car accidents, worth £6,990.

Detective Constable Andrew Porcher, who the led the investigation for IFED, said: “Not only did Hussain act deceitfully to take out numerous false fleet insurance policies, he also helped facilitate wider criminality.

“This should act as a warning to anyone who is thinking of setting up fake companies or exploiting the details of real ones to commit insurance fraud, you will be caught and you will be punished.”