A man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for submitting fake home insurance claims to RSA Insurance for the second time. Joel Mtebe, 37, from Chorley, previously faced legal consequences for similar offenses in 2017.
Between March 2019 and February 2022, Mtebe took out six home insurance policies using fictitious identities and filed 15 fraudulent claims, nine of which were successful, resulting in payments totaling £11,750. RSA Insurance linked him to four of the policies and reported him to the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).
On April 25, 2024, Mtebe pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud by false representation at Preston Magistrates Court. He was sentenced on August 20, 2024, at Liverpool Crown Court and is required to pay a £140 victim surcharge.
Detective Constable Dan Weller from IFED remarked on Mtebe’s tactics, which included elaborate stories like losing his phone down a drain, highlighting how such fraudulent activities increase insurance costs for honest customers.
Mtebe had previously taken out policies under various aliases, such as Thomas Bass and James Thurnburrow, and submitted multiple fraudulent claims. His actions raised suspicions at RSA, leading to an investigation and his eventual arrest in March 2022.
Adele Sumner, Head of Counter Fraud Strategy & Financial Crime at RSA, noted that Mtebe’s persistent offenses demonstrate a blatant disregard for honest customers. She praised the efforts of IFED in identifying his fraudulent activities and emphasized RSA’s ongoing commitment to combating insurance fraud.
Mtebe’s history of fraud dates back to between 2012 and 2015 when he made 15 claims on home insurance policies with RSA, resulting in an earlier conviction. His latest sentence aims to deter future fraudulent behavior and protect both customers and the insurance industry.
