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A father and child duo from Leicester scammed driver out of more than ₤ 60,000 by selling useless car insurance plan that left lots uninsured.
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Ilyas Rauf charged unsuspecting customers approximately ₤ 300 for void policies, which left chauffeurs facing potential fines and vehicle seizures, while secretly sharing thousands of pounds with his child Amer Ilyas.
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In the rip-off, fake insurance coverage intermediaries will declare they can get you vehicle or home insurance coverage as a discount rate.

They may either turn over a phony policy or an authentic one, which they consequently cancel to keep the refund on their own.

Alternatively, they secure a genuine policy with inaccurate info to bring the premium down - which would likely leave it void must you try to make a claim.

Rauf, 51, made ₤ 61,763 from August 2016 to January 2020 by supplying forged employment letters to secure reduced premiums for his victims.

Between September 2019 and June 2020, he shared more than ₤ 11,000 of his earnings with his 28-year-old kid, who was given the job of recruiting victims through social networks.

The daddy and child were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court for fraud offences

The National Crime Agency formerly shared a series of mocked-up Instagram ads offering '100% legit insurance guaranteed to beat any price' to show drivers what to watch out for

An examination discovered he utilized letters from a company called Eastern Catering to fraudulently acquire no claims discounts.

He incorrectly claimed his clients had worked for the business for multiple years without crashes or insurance coverage claims.

It was later on discovered that the address Eastern Catering was registered to was the exact same utilized by Rauf to offer the fake policies.

Police discovered that his son had likewise messaged 31 contacts about insurance on his phone in between October 2015 to March 2021, often telling consumers that his daddy would offer quotes for them the next day.

Amer Ilyas would then inform victims to go to the office or send out pictures of bank cards for processing of payment.

Rauf was connected to 52 deceptive motor insurance coverage throughout 4 different insurance companies.

Ilyas Rauf's brother Ziaed was captured on CCTV getting rid of 2 computer systems from the workplace while cops robbed his nephew's home.

Four telephone call had actually been made in between the brothers before Ziaed Rauf unsuccessfully tried to obstruct a camera and left.

Ziaed was caught on CCTV getting rid of two computer systems from the office while police raided his nephew's home.

Ziaed Rauf unsuccessfully tried to block a CCTV electronic camera and fled

How to prevent coming down with 'ghost brokers'

Karl Parr, from AXA UK, stated consumers can safeguard themselves by following the below recommendations:

• Steer clear of acquiring insurance policies promoted through social networks platforms and instant messaging apps.

• Beware of insurance brokers who market their services in personal community forums or through ads in public locations like bars, cafes or newsagents.

• Don't engage with insurance coverage brokers who ask for payment in cash or through bank transfers. Reputable brokers will offer payment choices through an online portal.

• Avoid insurance coverage brokers who utilize personal email addresses or cellphone numbers to sell policies.

• If you're worried about a policy you've bought or the details don't look right, call the insurance company straight - don't use the details provided by the broker.

• To guarantee you're handling an authorised insurance broker, check the Financial Conduct Authority's site or the British Insurance Brokers' Association websit.

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Their scam was uncovered when financial investigators found that he e claimed to have actually made ₤ 27,366 from 2016 to 2020 despite swiping more than ₤ 61,000 from the insurance coverage fraud alone.

When questioned by authorities, his child told officers he could not remember being given cash by his daddy and declared he did not understand what it was for.

The 3 males appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, June 6.

Ilyas Rauf, 51, of Normanton Road, Highfields, Leicester, pleaded guilty to scams by false representation, breaching the Financial Services and Markets Act and moving criminal residential or commercial property and was imprisoned for 21 months.

Amer Ilyas, 28, likewise of Normanton Road, pleaded guilty to cash laundering offences and was offered 16 weeks jail time, suspended for 12 months. He was likewise 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 ordered to finish 120 hours of overdue work after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The most current figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reveal the rate of the typical vehicle insurance coverage in January to March 2025 was ₤ 589, a 6 percent drop from the year before.

However, premiums stay more costly today than 2 years earlier, with the typical policy ₤ 478 in January to March 2023 - 23 per cent less than the very first quarter of 2025.

It follows a significant increase in social networks and email hacking reports last year, according to Action Fraud.

A total of 35,434 reports were made to the fraud and cyber criminal activity reporting service in 2024, compared with 22,530 in 2023.

Hacking techniques consist of fraudsters acquiring control of an account and impersonating the owner to persuade others to expose authentication codes.

The scams, called 'ghost broking' are often marketed on social media, promising inexpensive quotes for a vehicle insurance coverage policy.

Car insurance plan have dropped over the in 2015, however are still stay traditionally high

The cars and truck insurance coverage estimates that ARE too great to be real: Warning over surge in 'ghost brokers'

Many victims think they are being messaged by a friend.

The most common motives for social media hacking were financial investment scams, ticket scams or theft, Action Fraud said.

Fraudsters can likewise acquire account details through phishing rip-offs or information breaches.

People typically use the same password throughout accounts, so when one is dripped several accounts are left susceptible.

Action Fraud has actually released a project, supported by Meta, to encourage individuals to take extra online protection by enabling two-step verification.

Victims frequently do not understand they have been scammed up until they attempt to claim on their policy or if they occur to be come by police and asked to reveal their insurance coverage documents.

Karl Parr, Claims Technical Director, AXA UK, informed MailOnline: 'Ghost brokers normally use premium rates far more affordable than consumers can discover somewhere else.

'Remember, if something sounds too good to be real, it probably is.'

Young motorist Wayne Simpson purchased a low-cost cars and truck insurance coverage on social media before understanding it was phony after he was unable to claim following a crash, landing him with a loss of ₤ 500.

Young chauffeur Wayne Simpson purchased a cheap car insurance plan on social media before realising it was phony 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 and that the number we had actually offered them was not a number they would use,' he informed Sky News.

'That's when the dust settles, and you realise it's been a rip-off.'

Mr Simpson stated the insurance files looked so real that they managed to trick an authorities officer at the scene of the crash.

'She said," Your automobile's not appearing as insured". Immediately I went to my glove box, pulled the insurance coverage files, revealed her the files and she went through it and stated," That's completely fine",' he said.