The Rise of Ghost Portals: How Fake Insurance Platforms Are Deceiving Frontline Police Officers

A sophisticated new form of insurance fraud involving fake online portals designed specifically to deceive police officers has emerged as a significant threat to law enforcement operations. According to the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (Ifed), these so-called "ghost portals"—digital platforms that mimic legitimate insurance company systems—represent an alarming evolution in financial crime that deliberately targets frontline policing verification systems.

Speaking at a recent fraud industry gathering, Detective Chief Inspector Nik Jethwa, head of Ifed, warned that these fraudulent systems are being marketed to criminals with the explicit promise that they can "fool every police officer," marking a dangerous escalation from traditional insurance fraud methods. The scale of the problem has grown rapidly, with individual fake portals attracting hundreds of users who pay between £200 and £300 for access to these deceptive platforms.

Background and Context

Ghost portals differ fundamentally from traditional "ghost broking"—a long-standing fraud where unsuspecting victims are sold counterfeit insurance policies. According to counter fraud experts, while ghost broking typically targets innocent consumers, ghost portal purchasers are fully aware they are buying fraudulent tools designed specifically to circumvent law enforcement checks.

The emergence of this trend illustrates how digital technology has transformed insurance fraud. Where previously criminals had to individually forge insurance documents, modern ghost portals provide a sustainable platform that can serve hundreds of users simultaneously. According to industry experts at the Fraud Charter roundtable, this represents "a marked change in criminal behaviour" over the past year, with organized crime groups increasingly involved in the creation and distribution of these systems.

Key Figures and Entities

The City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (Ifed), led by Detective Chief Inspector Nik Jethwa, has been at the forefront of identifying and responding to this emerging threat. During the December 2025 Fraud Charter roundtable hosted by Insurance Times, Jethwa highlighted how these portals are creating substantial challenges for frontline officers who rely on digital verification systems during routine traffic stops and investigations.

The insurance industry has also voiced serious concerns. Mark Allen, head of fraud and financial crime at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), emphasized the need for greater collaboration with technology platforms to address insurance fraud increasingly perpetrated online. Donna Scully, director at legal services firm Carpenters Group, noted that ghost portals represent a distinct challenge from ghost broking because the perpetrators are knowingly engaging in deception rather than being unwitting victims.

Legal and Financial Mechanisms

The business model behind ghost portals is straightforward and lucrative. According to Jethwa, criminal developers create sophisticated fake insurance applications that mimic legitimate insurer branding and functionality. These platforms are then sold to other fraudsters for £200-300 per access license, with the explicit marketing promise that they can successfully deceive police verification procedures.

When stopped by law enforcement, users of these portals can log into the fake application and display what appears to be a valid insurance policy, complete with authentic-looking documentation and branding. Investigators note that criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence and modern website development tools to create convincing replicas of legitimate insurer platforms, making detection increasingly difficult for frontline officers.

The financial incentives are substantial, with some ghost portals attracting hundreds of paying users before being identified and shut down. This scalability has made ghost portals an attractive business opportunity for technically skilled criminals and organized crime groups seeking relatively low-risk revenue streams.

International Implications and Policy Response

The rise of ghost portals highlights significant challenges in cross-border digital regulation and enforcement. According to the ABI's Mark Allen, most technology platforms that host these fraudulent systems are US-based, creating jurisdictional complications for UK law enforcement. The industry has called for stronger measures beyond the UK's existing digital services tax—a 2% levy on revenues from large tech companies operating in the UK—to address how technology platforms can be compelled to take greater responsibility for fraudulent content.

In response to the growing threat, Ifed has scheduled a dedicated enforcement intensification month targeting both ghost broking and ghost portals in February 2026. This initiative represents a strategic shift from reactive investigations to more proactive enforcement, including identifying website operators and engaging with technology firms that host or enable fraudulent portals.

Insurance companies face not only financial losses but also substantial reputational risks when their branding is appropriated by these fraudulent portals. The deliberate cloning of legitimate insurer identities undermines trust in digital verification systems and creates risks for both consumers and the broader insurance market.

Sources

This report draws on statements made at the December 2025 Fraud Charter roundtable, information from the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, and reporting from Insurance Times. Additional context was provided by representatives from the Association of British Insurers and Carpenters Group. The UK's digital services tax framework provides further background on the regulatory environment for technology platforms operating in Britain.