Aylesbury fraudster claimed to esure for a lost watch he never owned

An insurance fraudster has been convicted after falsely claiming for a lost watch he never owned.
The photo of a fake watch sent by Mark Cox to insurers PNL-161201-155553001The photo of a fake watch sent by Mark Cox to insurers PNL-161201-155553001
The photo of a fake watch sent by Mark Cox to insurers PNL-161201-155553001

Mark Cox, 43, from Aylesbury, took out a home insurance policy with esure and requested an individual item – a Breitling Navitimer watch – be added to the policy, valued at £6,000.

Just five days later, he reported the watch lost to the Forest Patrol in Wendover Woods, claiming that he had lost the watch whilst walking in the woods with his family.

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He also reported the watch lost to his local police, before contacting his insurer to make a claim on his policy. When his insurer asked about the watch, he claimed it was a gift from his grandmother, but that he didn’t have any receipt or documentation relating to the watch that would verify ownership. His insurer then asked if he had any photographic evidence of the watch and Cox emailed in three pictures of the watch, which he claimed had been taken two years earlier, but when the digital images were checked, the photos were found to have been created after Cox had reported the watch as lost. When Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department Officers from the City of London Police searched his home address they found a watch and box that matched those in the pictures he had sent to his insurer. However, this watch was found to be a fake.

On Friday he was found guilty of fraud by false representation and is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Detective Constable Jamie Kirk said: “Cox completely fabricated this claim in an attempt to make some quick cash at the expense of his insurer to help ease his financial problems.

“This case should serve as a warning to others that making fraudulent insurance claims is not a quick or easy way to make money.”