Nathan Atkins has been sentenced to 20-months imprisonment at Bournemouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation. An investigation supported by the Insurance Fraud Bureau found he had manipulated women he met on dating sites to participate in a string of staged accidents.

Atkins used a number of false aliases and having targeted vulnerable women online persuaded them to follow scripted scenarios for staged crashes at specific locations.

Detective Constable Carley Parodi from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said: “This was a calculated and deeply manipulative scheme. Atkins preyed on vulnerable women, using them as pawns in staged collisions that could have ended in tragedy. It’s nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured - or worse, killed.”

Nicola Smith, intelligence and investigations manager at the Insurance Fraud Bureau, added:
“By exploiting vulnerable women he met on dating sites, he encouraged them to take part in dangerous crash for cash scams; implicating them in fraud and putting innocent people in harms way. We urge anyone using dating sites to look out for signs of this lesser-known fraud tactic, and to report any concerns.”