Cunningham Lindsey’s Investigation Services has helped to secure the convictions of two men involved in a £250,000 tractor ringing scam.
The men had been operating a legitimate vehicle sales business with an estimated turnover of £1.5m, but had run what was described by the judge sentencing the pair as a "profitable sideline" by handling stolen tractors. The operation involved changing vehicle registration plates to conceal their origins. Cunningham Lindsey was instructed in February 2010 by an insurer to investigate possible fraud following a number of tractor thefts in the Lancashire area.
Investigators undertook a number of field visits and worked with police to collate emerging evidence. The company’s Intelligence Team had a breakthrough in identifying patterns in the claims using Cunningham Lindsey’s i2 intelligence software, which led back to the fraudsters. Cunningham Lindsey worked with Lancashire Constabulary Stolen Vehicles Squad and AVCIS (Association of Chief Police Officers’ Vehicle Crime Intelligence Services) to recover a number of tractors.
Lisa Hynd, Complex Technical Services Director at Cunningham Lindsey, said: "Tractor theft is a multi-million pound problem for insurers, and once stolen the vehicles are often sent overseas, making them difficult to recover. Tractors are a particularly vulnerable target for thieves, as they are often left overnight in quiet locations, and many operate with a single universal key for practicality."
Christian Aplin, Head of Investigation Services at Cunningham Lindsey, said: "This is one of a number of high profile cases where Cunningham Lindsey has acted on behalf of a major insurer to stop fraudsters in their tracks. A combination of cutting-edge technology, market leading screening and investigation techniques and our specialist expertise has delivered significant cost savings for our clients. In this case, working closely with the police to share information has resulted in a number of convictions and the recovery of a significant amount of stolen property."
Two men pleaded guilty to the offences and sentencing took place on Thursday 17 February. One man received a custodial sentence of 35 months for handling stolen goods, fraud by misrepresentation and perjury, and the other 19 months for handling stolen goods and perjury. Both are due back in court in September for a proceeds of crime hearing.
