A long-running motor insurance fraud involving forged documents, invalid policies, and an estimated £61,763 in illicit earnings has resulted in court sentences for three men from Leicester.
The scheme, exposed through an investigation by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), operated under the guise of legitimate insurance services but left dozens of individuals unknowingly uninsured.
At the centre of the operation was Ilyas Rauf, 51, who from August 2016 to January 2020, sold unauthorised motor insurance policies to members of the public - a form of fraud known as ‘ghost broking’.
Investigators confirmed that Rauf collected fees ranging from £200 to £300 per policy, using forged employment verification letters from a company named Eastern Catering to fraudulently obtain no-claims discounts. The business was registered at the same address as the office where the transactions were conducted.
Between September 2019 and June 2020, £11,977 of the proceeds were shared with his son, Amer Ilyas, 28. IFED’s analysis of Amer’s phone revealed exchanges with over 30 individuals regarding insurance-related enquiries. He would often inform contacts that his father handled the policies and then follow up with pricing or instructions to provide bank card information or visit the office directly.
The fraudulent policies, taken out across four insurers, were later cancelled after inconsistencies and forged documentation were identified.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), which referred the case to IFED, reported that at least 52 fake motor insurance policies were connected to the scheme.
On June 6, 2025, Leicester Crown Court issued the following sentences:
CCTV footage captured during the execution of a search warrant showed Ziaed entering Ilyas’ office while officers were at Amer’s home. He was seen attempting to obscure a surveillance camera and removing two computer towers from the premises. Investigators traced four phone calls between Ziaed and Ilyas shortly before the event.
Further devices, seized from both Amer and Ilyas, were found to contain messages, documents, and evidence linking them to the sale of fraudulent policies. One computer held seven insurance-related documents, while HMRC records showed Ilyas had declared only £27,366 in income over the period, despite earning over twice that amount through the scheme.
A confiscation process to recover the criminal proceeds is pending. The IFED investigation remains ongoing to determine the full financial extent of the activity.
Anyone with concerns about potential ghost broking activity is encouraged to contact Action Fraud or report anonymously through the IFB’s CheatLine.
Have you encountered suspicious insurance offers or known anyone affected by fake policies? Share your experience or insights in the comments.
