A serial fraudster with a history of making false personal injury claims has been been subject to a number of restrictions on his release from jail.
Inner London Crown Court placed a serious crime prevention order on Hamid Sediqi, which came into force after he left custody this month.
Sediqi will have limits on the number of mobile phones and current bank accounts that he can hold, and will be required to inform the authorities of any changes to his address and personal circumstances. Breach of the order is a criminal offence and can be punished with five years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
The City of London Police insurance fraud enforcement department said this is its first-ever crime prevention order against a convicted fraudster.
Sediqi, now 38, was jailed for four years in May 2021 after he was found to have cloned a claims management company and orchestrated more than 60 fraudulent PI claims.
He posed as a director of the company and arranged to be paid for referring claims to a solicitors firm in exchange for a fee. In total he made £26,070 in referral fees.
A separate investigation by the police and insurer Aviva found that Sediqi and two others had made 62 fraudulent claims, opening bank accounts with stolen or fake IDs to take out policies and obtaining £200,000 in compensation.
At his sentencing, the court heard that Sediqi and one of his associates used the money to buy a penthouse apartment in Gran Canaria and a bright pink Mazda RX7. Photos found on his phone showed him and his dog covered in wads of cash.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Hill, from the City of London Police, said: ‘This result not only represents an important milestone for IFED, but shows that repeat offenders will be dealt with robustly.
‘Sediqi targeted legitimate businesses and used the identities of unsuspecting members of the public for his own financial gain. Thankfully, the serious crime prevention order handed to him will help ensure that he does not continue with this fraudulent activity, and prevent further innocent people from falling victim to his schemes.’
A confiscation hearing is due later this year.
