On 11 April 2018 at Bradford Crown Court, Abdul Hakim, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by false representation and was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

Hakim acted as a ghost broker. He sold bogus insurance policies and submitted motor insurance claims on behalf of unsuspecting policyholders to whom he had sold insurance policies.

He fraudulently gained access to the Claims Portal by cloning the company details of genuine solicitor firms to set up and register an account. He was then able to submit fraudulent claims to the insurance industry.

Claims Portal were alerted to suspicious activity and instigated an immediate investigation in conjunction with the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), the solicitors and insurers with exposure to the claims being presented by Hakim.

His access to the Claims Portal was suspended and work continued with both the IFB and Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) to assist in the investigation of any further fraudulent activity relating to this individual and his use of the Claims Portal.

Tim Wallis, Chair of Claims Portal Limited said, “As fraud remains an issue which impacts both solicitors and insurers, we are committed to play our part in identifying suspicious activity and working with enforcement authorities to bring fraudsters to justice".

We have long provided a secure route for solicitors and insurers to manage and settle claims. We remain vigilant about verifying the authenticity of our users and welcome the support of insurers and solicitors in ensuring that only those with legitimate business are using our service.”

Kind regards

Tim Wallis

Chair, Claims Portal Ltd