Crash-for-cash scams at record high

Think about you’re driving the young children to college when the vehicle in front suddenly slams on its brakes.

There is absolutely nothing you can do to keep away from a collision, so you crash into the back of the automobile. Of course, it could be a genuine accident. Possibly the driver stopped speedily due to the fact a dog ran into the road.

But the accident could also be deliberate – a so-known as ‘crash for cash’.

Deliberate accidents are at an all-time high, up by 51% final year.

Organised gangs are driving the improve in crash-for-money situations. So far this year, insurer Aviva reports a 21% rise in organised fraud more than 2013. The insurer now has much more than 6,500 suspicious injury claims linked to identified fraud rings.

Crash-for-money fraudsters deliberately result in accidents, usually so they can claim compensation for whiplash.

So, the auto in front will all of a sudden slam on its brakes. Or it might accelerate away from site visitors lights or a pedestrian crossing only to then brake sharply.

Some criminals even disconnect their brake lights so you get small or no warning that they are about to cease.

‘Flash for cash’ is a much more recent phenomenon. Here, fraudsters flash their headlights at an innocent driver, apparently to let the vehicle out of a junction, or petrol station.

They will then speed up to result in a crash and blame the unwitting motorist.

Organised gangs choose their targets with care. They want to meet with as little resistance as feasible so they tend to pick on mums with youngsters in the auto and older drivers.

Some areas are also much more hazardous than other people. Birmingham and Luton are the UK’s crash for cash hotspots, according to Aviva.

North London is in third place.

In the past, Manchester was awarded the dubious honour of the number one slot, but it has dropped to 4th position soon after a number of effective prosecutions in the region.

An instance was a case earlier this week when 2 men had been jailed for their component in a scam which involved a vehicle braking sharply in front of a bus, with a clutch of bogus whiplash claims totaling £500,000 made by bus passengers as a consequence.

As well as the danger of genuine injury or worse, crash-for-money also hurts our pockets.

Fraud adds an estimated £400 million to the cost of automobile insurance coverage, or around £14 to every motor premium.

Fraudulent motor claims detected in Birmingham postcodes alone totalled more than £4.7m via August this year, so you can see the size of the difficulty.

Insurers want the government to take into account treating minor whiplash injuries with rehabilitation, as an alternative of money compensation.

Tom Gardiner, Head of Claims Fraud for Aviva’s UK and Ireland Basic Insurance coverage enterprise, said: “The fight against fraud begins with an successful deterrent. In addition to much more prosecutions and stronger sentences, we need to take away the monetary incentive for minor whiplash claims.

“We are asking the government to consider compensating quick-term whiplash with rehabilitation, as an alternative of money. Would crash for cash exist if there was no funds in it? We don’t consider so.”

• Remain vigilant. Keep alert and hold your distance from the vehicle in front.


• Be particularly watchful at roundabouts and slip roads.


• If you notice that the brake lights on the car in front don’t function, remain cautious.


• You need to also be suspicious if the auto in front slows down or speeds up for no apparent cause.


• Be wary, also, if the passengers seem unduly interested in you and your auto as they may well be searching for a very good time to induce an accident.


• A auto with obvious harm to the rear is one more inform-tale sign.


• If you are involved in an accident that you suspect is fraudulent, get in touch with the police right away and don’t admit liability to the other driver, passenger or anyone else.


• Note down the make, model and registration quantity of the other car as nicely as the time, date, place and climate situations.


• Note the complete name, address, date of birth and gender of the driver and passengers and the number of passengers in the other automobile, which includes their positions in the automobile.


• Record the names and speak to information of any independent witnesses.


• Take photographs or a video if you can, capturing any damage – or lack of it – to the other vehicle.


• It’s also worth noting regardless of whether the driver of the other vehicle or any passengers complain of injury.


• Some fraudsters are tutored by organised gangs, so you may well be on your guard if they seem overly prepared or read from a script.


• Do not neglect to contact your insurer immediately right after the accident to advise them of any suspicions.

Best 10 postcodes for ‘crash for cash’ by number of accidents:

1. Birmingham (B)


2. Luton (LU)


3. North London (N)


4. Manchester (M)


5. Leeds (LS)


6. Uxbridge (UB)


7. Harrow (HA)


8. North West London (NW)


9. Bradford (BD)


10.  Slough (IG)

Crash-for-cash scams at record high