Huntley man falsely reports car stolen, tries to claim insurance money

Matthew Joel Hiesgen, 29, was arrested within days of carrying out the not-so-sophisticated scam in March this year.

Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday said Hiesgen contacted police on the evening of March 23 to report his silver Ford Focus had been stolen from Church Street in Wollongong sometime between 6.30pm and 8pm.

The report was logged and Hiesgen given a police event number.

Hiesgen then contacted his insurance company, the NRMA, to lodge a claim.

He was told if the vehicle remained missing for 14 days he would receive a $9,240 payout under his policy.

The NRMA also set him up with a loan vehicle in the interim.

However, just 12 hours later, police were at a unit block in Fairy Meadow on an unrelated matter when they unearthed Hiesgen’s vehicle parked under a carport.

The officer’s were originally unaware the vehicle had been reported stolen however subsequent checks revealed its status.

The unit’s occupant told police the vehicle was already there when she moved into the house a few days earlier.

Aware the woman was the mother of one of Hiesgen’s friends, officers rang Hiesgen to say they had found his car and were having it towed to a police holding yard for forensic examination. 

Hiesgen admitted the fraud during a subsequent conversation at Dapto Police Station that afternoon, saying he had put the vehicle at the location in the carport and reported it stolen in a bid to collect the insurance money.

When asked why, Hiesgen told officers he was trying to help his mate pay off debts while he was behind bars.

Hiesgen was charged with one count of making a false statement to obtain a financial advantage, to which he pleaded guilty.

A background report will be prepared ahead of his sentencing on August 18.