A British fraudster who pretended to be a car insurance broker and hawked his services on Instagram has been jailed for one year.

Touqir Nasir was caught by City of London Police’s insurance fraud department, acting on information from the non-profit Insurance Fraud Bureau.

The bureau says it referred the case after a tip-off to its confidential CheatLine about Nasir’s “ghost broking” activities on Instagram.

Nasir was using the social media site to advertise fake cheap car insurance.

Police also found he used false information to take out 10 temporary insurance policies for three vehicles he used.

Officers seized £16,000 ($32,926) in cash from his home, plus devices that showed he was accessing Instagram accounts linked to fraudulent insurance sales.

Nasir was sentenced last month at Luton Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to 10 counts of fraud by false representation and breaching the Financial Services and Markets Act.

IFB intelligence and investigations manager Nicola Smith says fake car insurance sales “have a serious impact on victims, as it leaves people out of pocket and risking serious criminal consequences for driving without valid insurance. We’re collaborating closely with the police and insurers to tackle this issue.”