Fraudsters are offering false ‘common law’ car insurance and claiming that the insurance is backed by the holder’s ‘cestui que vie trust’
We’re aware of fraudsters claiming to sell car insurance and advising users to claim the funds from a personal trust held by the government. They have called it a ‘cestui que vie trust’. Others are selling instructions on how to claim the funds.
Cestui Que Vie Trusts
A cestui que vie trust does not exist and there’s no such trust held by the government. The phrase appears to be a combination of 2 genuine legal terms:
The term has been used from time to time by people claiming that it means they do not have to pay debts or comply with court orders, but there’s no reported example of this being successful in the UK.
What this Means
A cestui que vie trust is a made-up term and does not exist. There’s no fund held by the government which you can claim against. This means that the car insurance is not backed by any funds and holders are driving without insurance.
It’s illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or public place without valid insurance. If you’re not correctly insured, you can be penalised. You could receive a fixed penalty, or be prosecuted in court, and the police might seize your car.
Protecting Yourself from Scams
We advise you to:
If you think you have been the victim of a scam and paid money, report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040 as soon as you can.