Massive Classic Car Insurance Scam Busted
A huge insurance fraud racket ran for eight years, duping companies out of thousands. From 2009 to 2017, a gang faked theft claims on 21 classic cars, pocketing between £10,000 and £25,000 each time.
The Scheme: Scrap Cars, Big Payouts
The cars involved were classic 1980s Ford Escort RS Turbos and similar models. But these weren’t high-value vehicles anymore – their last rightful owners had already scrapped them for pennies. The scammers used sneaky tricks to make the cars look valuable and intact.
- They doctored photos and swapped number plates on actual RS Turbos they controlled.
- They forged sales invoices and secured fake MOT certificates.
- They insured the cars with inflated Agreed Value policies.
Once the insurance was set, they waited months before reporting the cars as stolen. Each bogus theft claim brought a fat payday.
Police Crack Down – 19 Convicted
Suspicious insurers raised the alarm, sparking an investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service slapped 42 charges on 19 defendants. All were found guilty of fraud and conspiracy.
Notable sentences include:
- Jason Sallis, 52, of Blondvil Street – eight fraud counts, 36 months behind bars.
- Amandeep Gill, 35, of Corbison Close, Warwick – conspiracy to defraud, 32 months in prison.
This scam exposed how crooks can exploit classic car insurance, but thanks to vigilant detectives, justice was served.
