A masseuse who made a £550,000 insurance claim over alleged injuries at work was caught out by social media snaps showing her giving rub-downs and driving a quad bike.
Andrea Urbancikova, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, said she had hurt her neck, back and left arm after boxes fell on her whilst working on a packing line in 2018.
She claimed the pain from her injuries became ‘debilitating’ and ‘constant’, leaving her unable to function for the five years following the incident.
Medical records showed Urbancikova was signed off work for back pain and depression, as she claimed chronic pain left her unable to drive or carry out everyday tasks, such as cleaning, bathing and shopping.
However, inconsistencies in her medical evidence triggered a review by insurance company QBE’s Special Investigation Unit who uncovered evidence proving she had quite literally massaged the truth.
Pictures posted on her masseuse Facebook page, Body & Soul Massage Therapy by Andrea, from 2019 showed her beaming as she gave her clients massages.
Two of the snaps even show her lifting a customer’s leg in the air as she worked on them, just one year after the alleged injuries occurred.
Ironically, she is seen giving someone deep neck rub with the caption ‘pain relief massage’.
Andrea Urbancikova (pictured), from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, said she had hurt her neck, back and left arm after boxes fell on her whilst working on a packing line in 2018
Unhappy ending: Ironically, she is seen giving someone deep neck rub with the caption ‘pain relief massage’
Pictures posted on her masseuse Facebook page from 2019 showed her beaming as she gave her clients massages
Despite saying she was in too much pain to drive, another image showed Urbancikova driving a quad bike
Urbancikova (pictured) claimed the pain from her injuries became ‘debilitating’ and ‘constant’, leaving her unable to function for the five years following the incident
Despite saying she was in too much pain to drive, another image showed Urbancikova driving a quad bike.
Other images show the masseuse smiling in selfies with her massage bed in the background.
Her hefty claim of over half a million pounds was dismissed and dubbed ‘fundamentally dishonest’ following a trial at Lincoln Country Courty.
Urbancikova was also ordered to pay back £44,590 in legal costs to QBE.
Gary Beevers, Assistant Claims Manager at QBE, said: ‘It was clear from our evidence that there were inconsistencies between the claimant’s story and how she was living her everyday life.
‘Fraud remains a major issue in our industry, and we are pleased with the outcome of this case.
‘Our customers are at the heart of what we do, and we tirelessly pursue fraudsters in defence of our customer’s interests.’
Advertisement
