A masseuse who sought £550,000 in compensation for workplace injuries has had her claim thrown out after social media posts exposed her giving rub-downs and driving a quad-bike.
Andrea Urbancikova, who lives in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, had her insurance claim dismissed as "fundamentally dishonest" by Lincoln County Court, which ordered her to repay £44,590 to insurer QBE.
The court found that evidence from her social media accounts contradicted her claims about "debilitating injuries" she received in 2018.
Photographs showed her providing massage treatments to clients and operating a quad-bike - both of which were incompatible with the severe physical limitations she had claimed.
Lincoln County Court ordered Urbancikova to repay £44,590 to insurer QBE
GOOGLEUrbancikova claimed she sustained injuries to her neck, back and left arm when boxes fell on her while working on a packing line in 2018.
She told insurers the pain from these injuries had become "debilitating" and "constant", preventing her from functioning normally for five years after the incident.
Medical records indicated she had been signed off work for back pain and depression.
She maintained that chronic pain rendered her unable to drive or carry out routine activities like cleaning, bathing and shopping.
But discrepancies in her medical evidence prompted QBE's Special Investigation Unit to launch a review of her claim.
FRAUDSTERS EXPOSED BY SOCIAL MEDIA - READ MORE:
- Benefits fraudsters exposed after loved-up holiday photos reveal they were lying about being single to swindle £50k
- Fraudster who claimed £80k in money from DWP caught out after wedding photos spotted online
- Benefits cheat who claimed £8k in money from DWP caught thanks to incriminating Facebook posts
- Fraudster ordered to repay £20,000 after lie about condition caught on camera
Urbancikova's Facebook page for her business boasted images of her working - despite her 'injuries'
The investigation uncovered photographs from Urbancikova's Facebook page for her business, Body & Soul Massage Therapy by Andrea, dating back to 2019.
Images showed her actively treating clients, including lifting a customer's leg in the air while working on them, just one year after her alleged injuries.
One photograph showed her giving a client a deep neck massage with the caption "pain relief massage".
Further social media evidence revealed her driving a quad-bike, directly contradicting her claims of being too incapacitated to drive.
Additional images turfed up by the Daily Mail showed the masseuse posing for selfies with her massage table visible in the background.
Following the trial at Lincoln County Court, Urbancikova's claim for more than £500,000 was dismissed.
The court ordered her to repay £44,590 to QBE.
Gary Beevers, Assistant Claims Manager at the firm, 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."