New Variant of 'Crash-For-Cash' Scam On Britain's Roads

Insurers are warning about a new variation of so-called 'crash-for-cash' motor scam.

Crash-for-cash is a relatively well-known scam, in which a fraudster will slam on their brakes unexpectedly, causing the car behind to collide into them. (some will even remove or disable their brake lights so that other drivers have no warning or chance to react). They'll then make an insurance claim that exaggerates the damage caused to their vehicle so that they can get more money.

The new variation on the original scam sees fraudsters demanding cash on the spot from the other driver following the crash. Generally they will ask for a sum between £50 and £200.

Tom Gardiner, head of fraud at Aviva, told the Daily Mail: “Although it is early days, we are seeing anecdotal evidence of fraudsters deliberately causing an accident and then pressuring the target – or ‘at fault’ party – into paying them money in exchange for not making an insurance claim.

“We are concerned that fraudsters could end up targeting the most vulnerable motorists – the elderly, young drivers and women who are travelling alone or with young children.”

Mr Gardiner described the new trend of demanding on-the-spot payments as “bringing back the days of ‘highway robbery’”. Motorists were being intimidated, he said, and felt like they had no choice but to comply.

One reported incident even involved the scammer offering a motorist a lift to a cash machine so that they could withdraw cash.

Scammers are likely to make their fraudulent claim regardless of any cash exchanged at the scene. So if you pay up on the spot, you’re only increasing their profits. You may also be encouraging the scammer to repeat the tactic elsewhere, putting more drivers in harm’s way.

What to do if you’re involved in a car crash

 

If you’re involved in a car crash, alarm bells should start ringing if

• The other driver seems unusually calm 
• The other driver has their insurance details already written down for you to take.

What you should do...

• Keep a cool head.
• Don’t hand over any money
• don’t admit fault
• Take photographs if possible, from as many angles as you can.
• write down as much personal information as possible (if they’ll give you the information)
• Their name
• address
• contact telephone number  

• Don’t forget to also write down  the following details about their car
• the make
• model 
• registration number 
• number of people in their vehicle (photograph for proof)

The number of people in the vehicle is important as some scammers may later claim for injuries to passengers who weren’t actually present at the time.


As a matter of precaution, you might also want to install a dashcam in your vehicle. Some insurers are now accepting dashcam footage as evidence, and this may provide proof that an accident was caused deliberately by the car in front.

What to do after a suspected scam crash

 

If you think you’ve been targeted by a crash-for-cash scam, call the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) Cheatline on 0800 422 0421. This is a free and confidential way to report suspected insurance fraud, and your information could help the IFB build cases against organised criminal enterprises.
You should also call the police to report your suspicions.

Source http://home.bt.com

Dash cam saves the day providing evidence of blame in caravan crash

Another instance where a dash cam saves the day providing evidence of blame. Here a caravan driver tries to push in the front of a long queue of traffic and causes a collision. Footage owner is Mark Hazell.

Caught on dash cam rolling back accident rear end scam

The Honda driver in front at the lights rolls back a long way in to the car with the dash cam.

This driver in the car with the dash cam was extremely grateful that he had the evidence he needed to prove that he was not at fault and therefore protected from being blamed for this accident.

Crash for cash attempt - Birmingham UK

Wow this really couldn't be more of a blatant attempt as "crash for cash" insurance fraud! Luckily the targeted car managed to stop in time JUST!

The incident occoured on the M6 just after junction 5, video uploaded to youtube 20th September 2014

Honda civic Rolling back dash cam accident rear end scam?

As Eric Cheung the poster of the youtube video says "Lucky I did have this dashcam and is well worth otherwise I will be at fault"

Dash Cam = Evidence Collector for Accidents

We came across this "car crash" compilation today, some of the incidents are unbelievable (and there
are a lot) mostly filmed via dash cam (I think there are 1 or 2 bike helmet cams in there too).  However my overwhelming response after the initial "Cor Blimey" to each incident was "thank god they had video evidence that proved where the blame lie".

Police In Call For Public Dashcam Help

Police forces in England have appealed to motorists who have in-car cameras ( aka dashcams )to help them spot and prosecute criminals.

Senior officers have said the cameras may help catch offenders in specific situations where the police themselves are not present.

Motorists buy dashcams to record whether any accident that occurs to the vehicle is the fault of its driver, or someone else. Motor insurance firms tend to offer lower premiums to drivers who have them. They can be useful in insurance and court claims. However, they can also provide extra eyes on the road for the benefit of traffic officers.

Norwich resident Tony Sutton told the Norwich Evening News he has seen several incidents on his dashcam and supports the idea of the police making use of such footage.

Commenting: "We know the police cannot be everywhere," he noted that dashcams provide invaluable evidence like date and time stamps and also GPS readings on car speeds, which can then help prove if other motorists are going too fast. As a result, they can assist in securing convictions in court.

What are YOU Waiting For Order Yours Now

Crash for Cash Caught on Camera - Caught Out!

According to this youtube clip that we found Aviva has reported a 51% increase in induced accidents (real accidents caused by fraudsters claiming for personal injury damages) This dramatic rise is cause for real concern for Britain's motorists. This video shows the moment when one innocent motorist is caught up in such an accident. It is a 'typical' crash for cash scenario: two cars in front, both involved, slow down. When one peels off on the slip road, it is assumed the car immediately in front will speed up to. Instead, he slams on his brakes, causing the 'victim' to crash into him.

Insurance Scam Turns Nasty for this Guy

He forgot the golden rule -the driver of the car must know you are lying in front of their car :/

Whiplash Scam Smash Caught on Camera

A Truck in-cab camera has captured the moment that a Ford Galaxy swerved extremely violently across a motorway and smashed into a lorry. Amazingly, the occupants of the Galaxy blamed the lorry driver for the crash, even though they had driven right into his path across three lanes of the M25, they made four whiplash claims, leaving the haulier with a potential claim of up to £75,000.

However, thanks to the clear video footage, seen below, the potential insurance nightmare was avoided with the dispute dismissed within days as the Ford Galaxy can be seen clearly driving at speed past the lorry which is travelling in the slow lane of the motorway at 55mph – well within the 70mph speed limit. The driver reacts very slowly when other vehicles brake ahead of it, swerving violently across all three lanes and into an unavoidable collision.

Around 550,000 whiplash claims are made every year in the UK, but insurance experts estimate that up to 60% of these claims are bogus. These figures make the ‘cash for crash’ scam a £1billion-a-year fraud, with the UK now the ‘whiplash capital of the world’. What this means for the average car driver is that there is an additional £90 added to their insurance policy. Interestingly according to the AA, there have been 60% more personal injury claims since 2006, despite the fact that there has been a 20% drop in accidents over the same period.

The problem is that drivers can often feel like they are on shaky ground when they go into the back of another vehicle, particularly if there are no reliable witnesses to explain what happened. The blame is nearly always attached to the driver who hits the vehicle from the rear. Luckily for this driver the dash cam acted as the "reliable witness" and showed that the lorry driver was blameless

Protect yourself from this sort of fraud Buy a Dash Cam Now 

Source: Dashcamowners