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Tesco delivery drivers staged accidents in “cash for crash” fraud

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted February 13, 2024

Tesco was trapped by a "cash for crash" fraud involving its delivery drivers, who were bribed to cause accidents deliberately.

This elaborate scheme was executed by a group of around a dozen drivers from Tesco's Greenford depot in West London, designed to defraud the company of millions.

According to The Sunday Times, the drivers collaborated with external accomplices to orchestrate over fifty fake accidents between 2019 and 2020.

These staged incidents allowed the supposed victims to file substantial claims against Tesco for vehicle damage, personal injuries, and the costs of car hire.

Some claims reached tens of thousands of pounds.

The participating drivers were reportedly compensated a mere £200 for each orchestrated collision.

After noticing recurring patterns among the claims, Tesco's internal investigators uncovered the scam.

It includes the repeated use of a single solicitor by claimants and the choice of repair garages at the same address.

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The revelation of this fraud led Tesco to initiate legal action against the drivers and their collaborators in 32 separate cases at the Central London County Court.

Judge Heather Baucher has mandated the fraudsters to cover the supermarket's legal expenses.

She imposed an additional £18,000 in exemplary damages on each, citing the scam's "unprecedented" scale and the "outrageous" behaviour of those involved.

So far, Tesco has secured nearly £400,000 in damages from nine cases reviewed by The Sunday Times, with the total compensation expected to increase significantly.

A Tesco spokeswoman expressed approval of the court's ruling but refrained from further comment due to the ongoing nature of the legal proceedings.

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