A man who fabricated claims of holiday cancellations, due to COVID-19 restrictions, to fraudulently claim insurance payouts has been sentenced.
Dominic Ayo Williams, 37, from Bromley, previously known as Ayodele Oladuti, was found to have made 25 false travel and home insurance claims over an 18-month period. His fraudulent activities resulted in payouts totalling £61,380 from two insurance providers. When confronted about one of his claims, Williams attempted to conceal an unspent fraud conviction.
Following an investigation by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), Williams pleaded guilty on November 29, 2023, at Westminster Magistrates Court, to 16 charges of fraud by false representation and one charge of using a false instrument with intent. On February 3, 2025, he was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, and given a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO).
The SCPO places several restrictions on Williams, including limits on the number of electronic devices he can own. Additionally, he must inform the City of London Police’s Lifetime Offender Management Unit (LOMU) whenever he opens a bank account or takes out an insurance policy. Violating an SCPO can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and an unlimited fine.
Confiscation proceedings to recover the illicitly obtained funds will commence in due course.
Williams exploited the travel disruptions caused by the pandemic to make false insurance claims.
AXA’s fraud investigation team identified that between September 2020 and May 2021, he submitted eight fraudulent claims under a travel insurance policy, successfully receiving payouts for seven of them, amounting to £24,536. He falsely claimed that his accommodation providers had cancelled his bookings due to COVID-19 restrictions or that he had been unable to travel. He also provided forged invoices from a legitimate accommodation provider to support his claims.
AXA referred the case to IFED on June 25, 2021, leading to a thorough investigation. A forensic analysis of Williams’ bank accounts revealed that he had not booked the flights or accommodations he had claimed refunds for. He was arrested on November 2, 2021, and a search warrant was executed at his residence. Initially refusing to answer police questions, he later admitted to fabricating the claims and forging supporting documents.
Williams’ fraudulent activities extended beyond AXA. On May 10, 2022, Aviva referred additional suspicious claims to IFED. Between March 2020 and September 2021, he submitted 15 fraudulent claims against travel and home insurance policies underwritten by Aviva. Of these, nine were approved, netting him £36,844.
One notable false claim involved a supposed loss of a Louis Vuitton bag containing expensive items such as an iPhone, Rolex watch, and AirPods. When Aviva conducted further checks, it uncovered Williams’ prior fraud conviction from 2017, under his former name, Oladuti. When questioned about this, Williams initially denied any past offences but later altered his statement multiple times.
Williams then attempted to mislead Aviva by submitting falsified documents from Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Criminal Complaints Review Commission (CCRC), falsely stating that his previous conviction had been overturned. Aviva confirmed the documents were fraudulent after verification with the relevant authorities.
Following a voluntary police interview on November 1, 2022, Williams once again admitted to fabricating the claims and forging the supporting documents.
Detective Constable Dan Weller, from IFED, condemned Williams’ actions, stating:
“Many of us faced disruption to our travel plans as a result of COVID-19. Williams took advantage of this and systematically made bogus insurance claims for 18 months, pocketing tens of thousands of pounds that he wasn’t entitled to. After an insurer became suspicious of one of the claims, Williams had the audacity to apologise for lying and then send it forged documents the next day.
“Travel insurance provides peace of mind whilst in a foreign country and is meant to be a reassuring safety net should the worst happen, not a means of personal financial gain. The sentence handed to Williams and upcoming confiscation proceedings show that IFED will ensure that insurance criminals do not benefit from their dishonest actions.”
Carl Mather, special investigations manager at Aviva, also welcomed the verdict, adding:
“Aviva is encouraged by today’s court decision. Dominic Williams exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to submit fraudulent travel claims and used falsified court documents to facilitate a bogus claim against a home insurance policy. The sentence reflects the cynical and audacious nature of his offending, and he now has time to reflect on his actions.
“Aviva will continue to invest heavily in our counter fraud capabilities and seek to pursue sanctions against fraudsters who operate at every level. Genuine customers are front and centre of our business decisions and mitigating the impact of fraud on policy premiums is a priority for Aviva.”
Ayodele Oladuti/Williams had previously been caught stealing thousands while working as an estate agent by stealing clients’ identities and setting up bank accounts and contracts in their names. Some in the industry will doubtlessly be questioning how he escaped being sent straight to gaol, and has been given yet another chance to steal.
