Fraudster admits £11,000 liability
A man whose home was burgled has been forced to pay £11,000 back to his
insurance company after he falsely claimed for items that had not been
stolen.
A total of £6,000 in cash was stolen in the genuine
burglary at the 58-year-old's home in Beeston, Leeds. A ring worth
£2,000 also went missing and £3,000 of damage was caused.
But
after the insurance company said it would only pay out £500 for stolen
cash, the man claimed that a second ring and a watch worth £6,000 had
also been taken.
West Yorkshire Police uncovered the fraudulent
claim when the burglar was caught. He admitted stealing the ring and
the money but denied any knowledge of the additional ring and watch.
The homeowner's claim was declared null and void when he admitted making the fraudulent claim following a police interrogation.
Detective
Sergeant Mark Bray said: "Becoming a victim of burglary is far from a
pleasant experience for anyone but some people use it as an opportunity
to make a few quid back by falsely adding a few items of property to
their claims, or in this case just rake back any losses not covered by
insurance."