The Love Trap: When Romance Fraud Leads to Insurance Crime

Romance fraud does not always involve a direct request for money. In some cases, an offender uses a relationship to persuade another person to participate in a false insurance claim.

The person being targeted may be asked to pretend they witnessed an accident, claim they were a passenger in a vehicle or take part in a staged collision. They may believe they are helping a trusted partner with a temporary problem without understanding the full legal and financial consequences.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau has warned that this form of manipulation may be under-reported because the target is not necessarily asked to hand over savings. Instead, the offender wants access to the person’s identity, insurance history and apparent credibility.

The Nathan Atkins case illustrates how dating platforms can be used to recruit people into organised insurance fraud. Atkins manipulated women he met online into taking part in deliberately staged road collisions and was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at Bournemouth Crown Court in October 2025.

How relationship-based insurance fraud can develop

The offender may initially appear to be forming a genuine relationship.

They may spend time:

• Building trust and emotional dependence;
• Presenting themselves as financially experienced or successful;
• Learning about the other person’s vehicle, employment and insurance history;
• Introducing friends or associates who support the story;
• Creating urgency around a supposed financial difficulty;
• Describing dishonest conduct as harmless or routine;
• Reassuring the person that nobody will be harmed;
• Claiming that an insurer can easily afford the loss.

Once trust has been established, the offender may ask the person to assist with an insurance claim.

The request may initially sound minor, such as confirming that they witnessed an accident. However, knowingly providing false information to an insurer can form part of a criminal fraud.

Common requests used in the scam

A person may be asked to:

• Claim they witnessed a collision that they did not see;
• Say they were a passenger in a vehicle when they were not;
• Report an injury that did not occur;
• Take out an insurance policy for another person’s use;
• Allow their name or address to be used on a claim;
• Attend a staged collision;
• Follow a prepared account of what supposedly happened;
• Provide identity documents or insurance details;
• Receive an insurance payment and transfer it elsewhere;
• Introduce friends or relatives as additional claimants.

The request may be presented as a favour, an opportunity to make easy money or a way to help the relationship financially.

The important point is that the individual may be lending more than their name. They may be creating false evidence that an insurer, court or police investigation later relies upon.

The Nathan Atkins case

City of London Police reported that Nathan Atkins used several aliases to build relationships with women he met through dating websites.

He then persuaded them to take part in planned road collisions at selected locations. The women were instructed to follow scripted versions of events and submit personal-injury claims arising from the crashes.

The offending began in June 2020 and involved a series of deliberate collisions. Police described Atkins as predatory in his approach and said the crashes created a serious risk of injury.

The case demonstrates that:

• Dating platforms can be used to recruit participants into other forms of fraud;
• Emotional trust may make an unlawful request appear legitimate;
• Several identities may be used by the same offender;
• A scripted account can be supplied to make a false claim appear consistent;
• The participant’s identity may be more useful to the offender than their money;
• A staged collision can endanger the participants and uninvolved road users.

A person persuaded into the scheme may also face investigation, even where the principal organiser exerted emotional influence or control.

Why a credible insurance history is valuable

A person with no previous fraud concerns may appear more credible to an insurer.

Their identity may provide:

• A genuine name and address;
• An established insurance history;
• A real vehicle or policy;
• A plausible account of employment and income;
• A bank account capable of receiving payment;
• A lower-risk profile than the organiser;
• An apparently independent witness or passenger.

This can help the organiser conceal their own involvement.

The offender may therefore target someone because they appear trustworthy and have access to legitimate documents, rather than because they possess substantial savings.

What is “crash for cash” fraud?

“Crash for cash” describes insurance fraud involving deliberately caused or fabricated road traffic collisions.

The City of London Police explains that offenders may stage crashes to obtain compensation, creating a danger to other motorists and contributing to higher insurance costs.

Schemes may involve:

• Deliberately braking to cause another vehicle to collide;
• Staging a collision between cooperating vehicles;
• Inventing passengers or witnesses;
• Exaggerating injuries;
• Submitting claims for damage that did not occur;
• Using several connected claimants;
• Providing false descriptions of the circumstances;
• Recruiting people with clean insurance histories.

Even where a collision is physically staged rather than fabricated entirely, the claim remains dishonest if participants knowingly misrepresent what occurred.

Warning signs within a relationship

Concern should increase if a partner or online contact asks you to:

• Lie to an insurer;
• Confirm an accident you did not witness;
• Describe yourself as a passenger when you were not present;
• Claim an injury you have not suffered;
• Take out a policy for their benefit;
• Use your address, vehicle or bank account;
• Sign documents you do not understand;
• Follow a prepared script during a telephone call;
• Avoid speaking directly to the insurer;
• Keep the arrangement secret from family or advisers;
• Act immediately before you can obtain independent advice.

Other warning signs include the person using several names, giving inconsistent background information or becoming threatening when questioned.

A genuine partner should never require you to mislead an insurer or law-enforcement agency.

“It is only an insurance company” is not a defence

An offender may minimise the request by suggesting that:

• No individual will lose money;
• The insurer expects false claims;
• Everybody exaggerates;
• The claim is too small to be investigated;
• The organiser will handle all communication;
• The participant cannot be held responsible;
• The payment is guaranteed;
• The conduct is not really criminal.

These statements are designed to reduce hesitation.

Insurance fraud can result in criminal investigation, repayment demands and long-term difficulties obtaining financial products. The fact that someone else designed the scheme does not automatically prevent scrutiny of a person who knowingly supplied false information.

However, each case depends on its evidence. A person who was manipulated, threatened or deceived should obtain independent legal advice rather than assuming either that they are automatically guilty or that they face no risk.

Potential consequences for the person recruited

The consequences may extend beyond the immediate claim.

They can include:

• Police or insurer investigation;
• Criminal prosecution;
• Repayment of insurance proceeds;
• Cancellation of existing policies;
• Difficulty obtaining insurance in future;
• Fraud-related database or industry records;
• Adverse credit or affordability consequences;
• Loss of employment in regulated or trusted roles;
• Civil recovery action;
• Damage to family and professional relationships;
• Physical injury during a staged collision.

The exact consequences depend on the person’s knowledge, conduct and the outcome of any investigation.

The original version of this article suggested that the law does not distinguish between a manipulated victim and a willing participant. That is too absolute. Evidence of coercion, deception, intent and knowledge may all be relevant, but emotional manipulation does not make participation risk-free.

What to do if you are being pressured to participate

Do not agree to provide false information.

Take the following steps:

1. Refuse to take part in the proposed claim or collision.
2. Do not sign documents or provide identity records.
3. Preserve messages, voice notes and instructions.
4. Record the names and aliases being used.
5. Save vehicle, policy and payment details.
6. Avoid confronting the organiser if you fear retaliation.
7. Report the dating profile to the platform.
8. Contact the police if a collision is planned or anyone is at immediate risk.
9. Obtain independent legal advice if you have already supplied false information.
10. Report suspected insurance fraud through an appropriate official channel.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau operates CheatLine for confidential reports of suspected insurance fraud. Police and Report Fraud may also be appropriate depending on the circumstances.

What to do if you have already taken part

Do not submit further claims or repeat a false account.

Preserve:

• Messages describing the plan;
• Scripts supplied by the organiser;
• Dating-profile information;
• Names and aliases;
• Vehicle details;
• Insurance documents;
• Claim references;
• Payment records;
• Photographs or videos;
• Details of other people involved;
• Evidence of threats, manipulation or coercion.

Seek independent legal advice before giving a detailed account to an insurer or another party. A solicitor can advise on your position and the appropriate way to disclose what happened.

Where anyone remains at physical risk from a planned collision or threatening person, contact the police immediately.

Romance fraud and identity exploitation

The Atkins case shows that a fraudster may exploit a relationship without directly taking the victim’s money.

The target’s identity may be used to:

• Support a false insurance claim;
• Open or control accounts;
• Receive criminal proceeds;
• Register companies;
• Obtain credit;
• Purchase goods;
• Move money for other victims;
• Create an apparently independent witness;
• Distance the organiser from the offence.

For broader guidance on identity, emotional and financial warning signs, read How to Spot a Romance Scam: Warning Signs and Practical Steps.

Supporting someone who may be involved

A person recruited through a relationship may feel ashamed, frightened or conflicted.

They may still believe that the organiser loves them or that admitting the truth will end the relationship and expose them to prosecution.

A constructive approach is to:

• Listen without ridicule;
• Establish what they were told;
• Identify whether any collision or claim is still planned;
• Encourage them to stop participating;
• Help preserve communications;
• Avoid contacting the organiser directly;
• Encourage independent legal advice;
• Report immediate safety risks;
• Provide emotional support.

Do not promise that reporting will have no legal consequences. Equally, do not assume the person’s position without understanding the evidence and the degree of manipulation involved.

How insurers may investigate suspected claims

An insurer may examine:

• Whether the collision occurred as described;
• Connections between drivers, passengers and witnesses;
• Previous claims involving the participants;
• Vehicle and policy records;
• Telephone and communication evidence obtained lawfully;
• Financial relationships;
• Medical evidence;
• CCTV or dashcam footage;
• Inconsistencies between different accounts;
• Evidence of staged meetings or planning.

Surveillance may sometimes be relevant, but it is not automatically the principal or most effective method in every insurance-fraud case.

The appropriate investigation may involve a combination of documentary analysis, open-source intelligence, interviews, link analysis, digital evidence and proportionate surveillance.

The original article described surveillance as the “most effective tool” and promised definitive court-admissible proof. Those claims should be removed. The correct method depends on the allegation, evidence and legal context.

The importance of lawful and proportionate evidence

Evidence gathered for an insurer or legal adviser should be:

• Lawfully obtained;
• Relevant to the suspected fraud;
• Proportionate to the circumstances;
• Accurately recorded;
• Securely retained;
• Capable of being explained and verified;
• Handled in accordance with data-protection and evidential requirements.

Surveillance alone cannot establish every element of a false claim. Footage must be interpreted in context and may need to be considered alongside policy documents, medical evidence, financial records and relationships between the parties.

What to do after losing money through romance fraud

Some cases involve both direct financial loss and pressure to assist with other criminal conduct.

Where money has already been transferred:

1. Stop further payments.
2. Contact the bank or payment provider immediately.
3. Preserve complete communications and transaction records.
4. Report the suspected fraud.
5. Secure online and financial accounts.
6. Avoid confronting the offender.
7. Do not pay anyone promising guaranteed recovery.
8. Consider proportionate investigative and legal advice.

For detailed post-loss guidance, read Romance Fraud Investigation and Asset Recovery: What Victims Should Do.

Fraud and insurance-investigation support

Conflict International assists insurers, legal advisers, businesses and individuals with fraud matters involving false claims, concealed relationships and organised financial activity.

Depending on the circumstances, work may include:

• Background and identity enquiries;
• Open-source investigation;
• Relationship and link analysis;
• Company and address research;
• Digital-evidence review;
• Financial intelligence;
• Lawful surveillance;
• Evidence collation;
• International investigative support.

Learn more about our Fraud and Financial Investigation Services and Surveillance Services, or contact us in confidence to discuss the available evidence and realistic investigative options.

Where a staged collision is planned or someone is at immediate risk, contact the police before arranging a private investigation.