A delivery driver attempts to buy insurance at scene of crash.

He has now been found guilty at Oxford magistrates court.

It is described by Philip Swift, MD of Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), as “one of most blatant attempted deceptions I’ve seen in all my years as a motor insurance fraud investigator.”

Delivery with a bang

On 23 August 2021, Octavian Radu, aged 28 crashed an Audi A4 into a house on The Green, in Drayton near Abingdon. This caused over £85,000 worth of damage.

With the car still half wedged in the property, the Uber Eats delivery driver realised insurance was needed. He then contacted an insurance company while sitting in the car, obtaining a policy.

In the details

Oxford Magistrates’ Court has found Radu guilty of driving without due care and attention. Local enquiries established the incident occurred 12 minutes before he bought insurance. Local witnesses watched Radu ‘on his phone’.

He then admitted using the car without valid insurance. This led to his fine of £400,  £1,400 in compensation and £340 in costs and surcharges. He also received eight penalty points on his driving licence.

Delivering just deserts

“Retrospectively getting cover, or ‘forward dating’ the event, is a common con, says Philip Swift. “But this one was absurd, seemingly designed to fool the police he had purchased cover that very same day. This immediately set alarm bells ringing”.

The prompt actions of the insurance company smelling a rat meant proactive investigations were immediate. This enabled investigators to verify key facts while fresh in the memory of locals.

According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau, scams cost the UK economy over £3 billion every year. They are urging insurers “to be rigorous in their approach”.

“We demonstrate daily that facts fight fraud, although in this case our skills were not unduly tested!” adds Philip.