Fake Ferrari fraudster from Essex jailed for 18 months

The Toyota dressed up as a Ferrari (Image: Archant)

Serial conman, Adam Islam, from Essex, crashed his Toyota MR2, dressed up to look like a Ferrari F430, into his friend’s hired Audi A1, on September 12, 2014, after both were driving recklessly.

Knowing their driving would void their insurance claim for damages, Islam claimed he did not know the driver of the Audi, Abu Khayer, and that his fake Ferrari had broken down before being rear-ended.

As the at-fault vehicle was insured by the hire company, Khayer would incur no personal cost for the claim, so the two fraudsters could split the hefty £29,000 insurance pay-out.

The claim was flagged as suspicious to motor fraud experts Asset Protection Unit (APU) by commercial law firm Hill-Dickinson after its fraud-detection system discovered that Islam had tried to claim a second credit hire car from a separate company following the accident.

The Toyota dressed up as a Ferrari (Image: Archant)

An investigation was launched by APU, which quickly revealed the pair were long-standing friends after identifying several photos of them together on social media, also bringing to light that Islam had recently failed to sell his car online for £30,000, creating further suspicion.

APU then teamed up with commercial law firm Hill-Dickinson LLP to launch a successful private investigation.

Islam’s accomplice, Khayer, received a 12 month custodial sentence suspended for two years, and was ordered to compensate Accident Exchange, his hire company, and its insurer, more than £10,000 in total.

The judge of the trial, HHJ Dawson, said: “Almost immediately after the crash, you [Islam and Khayer] both launched into a sophisticated fraud. This is not a victimless crime; we all end up paying more for car insurance. It also undermines the trust from insurance companies in the public, which causes delay in genuine payments.

“More fraud makes it more difficult for honest people to be paid.”