Press release -
Who ya gonna call? Ghost-broker-busters!
Don’t get spooked by ghost brokers this Halloween!
•Allianz UK 2025 fraud detection figures up 34% vs. 2024
•Fraudsters haunting social media and targeting young and bargain-hunting drivers.
•Allianz UK has partnered with tech experts to fight fraud.
•Our mission: Protect honest customers from scary surprises.
Allianz UK is warning motorists to be wary of insurance ghost brokers who fraudulently offer car insurance deals at significantly cheaper prices.
What is ghost broking?
Ghost broking is a chilling scam where fraudsters sell fake car insurance policies at tempting prices. But beware: these “deals” can leave you driving without real cover, risking fines or even having your car spirited away by authorities!
Are you on the ghost broker hit list?
Ghost brokers often target:
•Young drivers and those new to buying insurance.
•Individuals unfamiliar with the UK insurance market or facing language barriers.
•Anyone searching for a cheap insurance deal online.
Often found lurking on social media, money-saving forums, and student sites, ghost brokers offer deals that are just too good to be true. Remember: if it seems supernatural, it probably is.
How Allianz UK is haunting down fraudsters
At Allianz UK, we’re suiting up with the latest technology and expert partners to trap these fraudsters. In the first half of 2025, we detected over 15,800 cases of insurance fraud.
We’ve joined forces with Clearspeed for voice analytics and Carpe Data, a US-based tech firm specialist in identifying personal injury fraud, to spot suspicious activity faster than you can say “boo!”
Matt Crabtree, Head of Financial Crime at Allianz UK warns:
“Ghost brokers remain a serious problem, and more people are falling victim to this illegal scam. Be wary of anyone offering cheap insurance deals, especially on social media or messaging apps. Always check that you’re dealing with a regulated insurer or broker before making any payment. You can verify this using the Financial Services Register.”
How to avoid a ghostly scam
Don’t get tricked - follow these treats:
•Beware of premiums that are scarily cheap.
•Real brokers are unlikely to use personal WhatsApp or DMs to contact you.
•Check if the brokers have a website or landline number to validate there’s no witchcraft at play.
•Do your homework: if you’re dealing with a broker check they are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority
•If you think you’re dealing with an insurer direct then check they are approved by the Financial Conduct Association.
•Ensure your policy documents, including the certificate or insurance and schedule have all the correct details always contact the insurer if you suspect your policy might not be genuine.
The best way to avoid being haunted by ghost brokers? Buy your insurance from a well-known provider like Allianz. We’re here to keep you safe from things that go bump in the night (and in your inbox)!
Case Study: Serial ghost broker sentenced after ignoring repeated warnings | City of London Police
Sheikh Tanvir Uddin, aged 22 and residing in Southwark, was sentenced to a suspended prison term for operating as a ghost broker, despite multiple interventions by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).
Uddin first came to the attention of IFED in April 2025, when officers identified his fraudulent activities and issued a cease-and-desist notice, alongside guidance on becoming a legitimate broker. This restorative approach was chosen due to his age and lack of prior convictions.
However, Uddin continued to offer unauthorised insurance policies, charging clients administrative fees and providing falsified cover via WhatsApp.
Less than a month after the initial intervention, he was arrested again following referrals from Allianz, on suspicion of further fraud and money laundering. Despite being interviewed twice, he declined to account for his actions.
Evidence gathered by IFED led to Uddin being charged with providing false details to obtain insurance and selling policies without authorisation. He pleaded guilty to both offences and received a 32-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, along with a victim surcharge and court costs.
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About Allianz Holdings plc
Allianz Holdings plc is the non-regulated holding company which owns the principal insurance operations of Allianz SE in Great Britain including Allianz Insurance.
About Allianz
The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with around 128 million* private and corporate customers in nearly 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 776 billion euros** on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 1.9 trillion euros** of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are among the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2024, over 156,000 employees achieved total business volume of 179.8 billion euros and an operating profit of 16.0 billion euros for the group.
* Including non-consolidated entities with Allianz customers.
** As of December 31, 2024.
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This document includes forward-looking statements, such as prospects or expectations, that are based on management's current views and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance figures, or events may differ significantly from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
Deviations may arise due to changes in factors including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the general economic and competitive situation in the Allianz’s core business and core markets, (ii) the performance of financial markets (in particular market volatility, liquidity, and credit events), (iii) adverse publicity, regulatory actions or litigation with respect to the Allianz Group, other well-known companies and the financial services industry generally, (iv) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, including those resulting from natural catastrophes, and the development of loss expenses, (v) mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (vi) persistency levels, (vii) the extent of credit defaults, (viii) interest rate levels, (ix) currency exchange rates, most notably the EUR/USD exchange rate, (x) changes in laws and regulations, including tax regulations, (xi) the impact of acquisitions including related integration issues and reorganization measures, and (xii) the general competitive conditions that, in each individual case, apply at a local, regional, national, and/or global level. Many of these changes can be exacerbated by terrorist activities.
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