Joel Mtebe, operating under multiple aliases, secured six home insurance policies between March 2019 and February 2022. Over this period, he successfully processed nine claims which totaled £11,750 ($22,866).
RSA Insurance linked Mtebe, 37, to at least four out of the six policies and subsequently reported him to the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
Dan Weller, a detective with the fraud squad who spearheaded the investigation, revealed that Mtebe fabricated extravagant stories. These tales included mishaps such as accidentally dropping his phone down a drain and a child destroying a TV with a toy, all with the aim of reaping illicit financial gain.
Mtebe, hailing from Chorley in Lancashire, admitted to eight counts of fraud by false representation. He now faces a prison sentence of 20 months and has been ordered to pay a £140 ($272) victim surcharge.
This imprisonment follows a prior sentence from 2017, where Mtebe received eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for 15 fraudulent home insurance claims made between 2012 and 2015.
"These types of false claims drive up insurance premiums for other customers, meaning everyday honest people end up shouldering the burden," Detective Constable Weller stated.
Weller added, "It was disheartening to encounter Mtebe once more on my caseload. I hope this recent sentencing underscores that no matter the number of identities used, insurance fraud will always be uncovered."
Adele Sumner, the head of fraud strategy and financial crime at RSA, commented on Mtebe's determined and self-serving nature.
"We hope this sentence serves not only to protect our clientele but also deters other potential fraudsters across the insurance sector," she asserted.
(Source of original article: Insurance Business Magazine)
