A “serial fraudster” from Cranbrook who police linked to 17 different names has been jailed for trying to defraud two insurance companies.

Jubair Choudhury of De Vere Gardens – who had been convicted for similar offences five years ago – was caught after Hastings Direct and 1st Central became suspicious about claims he had submitted.

After an investigation by City of London Police’s insurance fraud enforcement department (IFED), the 36-year-old was jailed for six months at Inner London Crown Court for four counts of fraud by false representation.

He had previously admitted the offences.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk from the IFED said: "Choudhury really has carved a name for himself as a serial fraudster."

Referring to his previous offending, the officer added: "It is always frustrating to see a criminal back in court, but hopefully a stint in prison will finally teach Choudhury that no matter how many names you hide behind, you will be caught out in the end."

In August 2017, Choudhury took out a car insurance policy with Hastings Direct using the name Mario Valentino, stating on his application that he had no criminal convictions and nine years’ no claims bonus.

Hastings Direct received a claim in October that year from a third party reporting a collision involving Choudhury a few days prior.

The insurer reached out to Choudhury as they had suspicions that the claim was fraudulent, but could not reach him on multiple occasions.

Choudhury got in touch around two weeks later to deny being involved in the reported crash.

However, he claimed to have been involved in another collision which he settled with the other person.

Choudhury’s Audi was examined by a vehicle assessor the next month, who concluded it could not have been involved in the collision reported by the third party in October.

The assessment found the minor damage was not consistent with the report.

An investigator from Hastings Direct took a statement from Choudhury in January 2018 regarding the seemingly bogus third-party report.

During this visit, Choudhury raised an unrelated incident, claiming his car was damaged while parked outside a property overnight in September 2017.

Choudhury said a note was left by a witness named Jamail Caan, who had seen a vehicle hit his car before driving off.

The fraudster then reported the incident to the police, after which it was discovered that the car's registration was linked to a policy with 1st Central.

The claim with 1st Central raised concerns for Hastings Direct because of discrepancies between Choudhury’s story and their records.

He reported the collision to 1st Central and, in describing the damage, stated that "the whole of the front is completely off the vehicle and left on the roadside".

1st Central made multiple attempts to contact the policyholder without success.

While he liaised with the insurer and waited for the outcome, Choudhury moved the car into storage and had the repair work done by an independent body shop.

Choudhury then provided 1st Central with an invoice totalling £2,250 for repair and storage from a company in Essex. This invoice was in the name of Carlos Doir.

Choudhury told 1st Central that his car was in storage until December 20, but Hastings Direct had a record of one of their assessors examining his car in London on December 7.

1st Central questioned the validity of the claim Choudhury had submitted, so the case was forwarded to their investigation team.

It was discovered that Mario Valentino - the name Choudhury had submitted this claim under - had the same date of birth as Carlos Doir and Jamail Caan, the supposed witness.

When the 1st Central policyholder was eventually reached, he said he hadn’t been involved in a collision and wasn't aware of the alleged accident until the insurer contacted him.

IFED enquires with the DVLA revealed Mario Valentino, Carlos Doir and Jamail Caan to be among a series of name changes on Choudhury’s driving licence.

The Police National Computer then linked Choudhury to 17 aliases, also identifying his previous convictions for failing to disclose information to insurers with a view to gain.

Choudhury was also found to have a number of convictions for driving whilst disqualified and other motoring offences.