Lego collector’s insurance scam highlights UK’s £1.3bn fraud problem
Source: The Guardian ·
Industry leaders say bogus claims rose 14% last year, pushing up premiums for all customersA insurance fraudster who pocketed more than £14,000 for the supposed theft of Lego sets, fishing gear and gaming consoles was behind one of last year’s most high-profile bogus claims.Investigators uncovered £1.34bn of fraud in 2025, a 14% increase on the year before, according to the Association of…
From the source
An insurance fraudster who pocketed more than £14,000 for the supposed theft of Lego sets, fishing gear and gaming consoles was behind one of last year’s most high-profile bogus claims. Investigators uncovered £1.34bn of fraud in 2025, a 14% increase on the year before, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The Lego fraudster, Matthew Johnson, was sentenced to 28 months in prison last December after an investigation by the City of London police’s insurance fraud enforcement department. Johnson, of Misterton in Nottinghamshire, submitted false claims to Axa Insurance between May 2021 and January 2022, relating to alleged burglaries at properties in Shetland and Goole, East Yorkshire. He claimed that high-value items had been stolen, including MacBooks, televisions, gaming consoles, fishing equipment and large quantities of collectible Lego sets. Johnson received more than £14,000 in insurance payouts across four claims. He was ordered by Nottingham crown court to…