Heavily Pregnant Woman Stages Collision to Obtain Insurance Payout
On paper, Ghenoua Fadel and her unborn baby were lucky to survive. Police arrived at a rain-soaked Sydney intersection to find two mangled vehicles and a dazed woman, eight months pregnant, complaining of stomach and back pain.
She claimed she had accidentally run a stop sign and collided with another moving vehicle. But hidden eyes were watching: a nearby CCTV camera had captured the entire event - and it told a very different story.
How the “Accident” Was Staged
Like many staged collisions, the incident was carefully orchestrated in a quiet area, late at night, to minimise the chance of witnesses.
The footage showed:
Fadel and alleged accomplice Jamal Gmrawi arriving separately at the intersection.
Gmrawi manoeuvring his Nissan X-Trail into position before stepping out.
Fadel slamming her Toyota RAV4 into the stationary X-Trail.
A third, unidentified person in a separate vehicle keeping watch and later performing a second deliberate hit to exaggerate the damage.
Police and ambulance officers soon arrived on scene, unaware that what looked like a tragic accident was in fact fraud in progress.
Insurance Claims and Forensic Evidence
In the days following, both Fadel and Gmrawi lodged claims with AAMI and NRMA.
But AAMI commissioned a forensic report, which revealed two critical facts:
Gmrawi’s vehicle had been stationary at the moment of impact.
There had been two separate collisions, not one, as would be expected in an accidental crash.
When confronted with this and the CCTV footage, the elaborate deception quickly collapsed.
Court Proceedings
Fadel appeared before Bankstown Local Court, cradling her newborn baby, and pleaded guilty to multiple offences. She admitted that Gmrawi was an associate of her husband and acknowledged her role in the staged collision.
“I was going through a hard time and wasn’t thinking straight,” she told the court. “I was worried about the car I had. I wanted a bigger car for my four children and couldn’t afford it… of course I feel bad, that’s why I pleaded guilty.”
The Bigger Picture: Staged Collisions on the Rise
Far from being isolated, staged collisions are part of a growing national trend. These fraudulent schemes:
Cost insurers millions of dollars annually.
Drive up insurance premiums for honest motorists.
Require sophisticated investigative techniques - from CCTV analysis to forensic crash examination - to expose the truth.
Final Thoughts
This case highlights the crucial role of investigative work in uncovering insurance fraud. Without CCTV footage and forensic analysis, this staged crash might easily have resulted in fraudulent payouts, burdening insurers and everyday motorists alike.
At QNA Investigations, we specialise in uncovering fraud and providing the evidence that stands up under scrutiny. If you’d like to know more, contact us by phone on +61 2 9212 5000 or via email at mail@qnainvestigations.com.au.
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