Published on 16 July 2024
How to steer clear of ‘crash for cash’ scams
Crash for cash scammers deliberately engineer an accident in order to make an insurance claim against innocent drivers. In other words, it’s a type of insurance fraud, and it will serve you well to know how you can spot a crash for cash scam and try to avoid becoming a victim.
- What’s an example of crash for cash car insurance fraud?
- How can I protect myself from a crash for cash claim?
- What if a crash for cash scam happens to me?
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What does ‘crash for cash’ mean?
The fraud involves a vehicle, often motorbikes or scooters, attempting to purposefully get ‘hit’ tomake an insurance claim. For example, targeting drivers as they park, riding past just as the driver opens the car door so it appears it’s the drivers’ fault when they hit the bike.
How do crash for cash scammers operate?
Suddenly applying the brakes for no apparent reason is a common way crash for cash criminals may dupe you into hitting them from behind.
Sometimes, they operate in teams to cause an accident with one driving unpredictably ahead of their partner in crime. If their unexpected braking causes you to hit them, they’ll say it wasn’t their fault and blame the car in front, who have since made a clean getaway being seemingly unconnected.
Sometimes these fraudsters may not even wait for you to hit them at all. There have been cases reported when they simply simulate a crash-like noise, for example by throwing something at your vehicle and then intimidating you into handing over cash for ‘hitting’ their wing mirror.
What are the different types of crash for cash scam?
In general, crash for cash scams can be categorised in one of three ways:
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Staged crash
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Induced crash
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Ghost crash
When fraudsters engineer an accident between themselves away from any eye witnesses so they can claim on insurance without getting anyone else involved. This sort of incident wouldn’t affect an innocent third party the way most crash for cash scams do.
When an unsuspecting driver is caught off guard, for example by sudden unexplained braking. In this type of crash for cash scam, criminals deliberately cause an accident but make it look as though it was your fault so you claim on your insurance.
when there wasn’t even a crash at all. Despite there never having been an accident, scammers conjure one out of thin air, making up a believable story so they can make a fraudulent claim against their car insurance.
When do crash for cash scams happen?
Looking at our claims data, we saw that four in ten of these accidents happen during the school run and rush hour, between 3-7pm. Lunchtime also seems to be a prime time for fraudsters, with 27% of collisions happening between 11am-2pm.
In terms of which day of the week you may statistically be more likely to experience a crash for cash attempt, we saw 27% of incidents occurring on a Wednesday.
Where in the UK does crash for cash happen most?
According to LV= claims data, London bears the brunt of the problem with over half of incidents taking place in Greater London. South London accounts for 42% of the exposure and North London accounts for 26%. Croydon, in South London is named as an insurance fraud hotspot alongside Enfield in North London, as well as certain locations in Southwest London.
Top 15 crash for cash UK hotspots based on cases received by LV= in 2023:
Swipe to view more
| 1. | Central London | |
| 2. | Birmingham | |
| 3. | Manchester | |
| 4. | Bristol | |
| 5. | Bradford | |
| 6. | Glasgow | |
| 7. | Sutton |
Swipe to view more
| 8. | Enfield | |
| 9. | Leeds | |
| 10. | Slough | |
| 11. | Rochdale | |
| 12. | Coventry | |
| 13. | Croydon | |
| 14. | Ross-on-Wye | |
| 15. | Shrewsbury |
How can I stop car insurance fraud happening to me?
Being aware of how crash for cash scammers operate can help you avoid this type of fraud and there are a couple of things you can do to try and stop yourself getting scammed:
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Keep a safe distance
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Look out
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Drive carefully
Always keep a safe distance from the car in front, particularly in traffic, at busy junctions, slip roads and roundabouts.
Be on the lookout. Is anyone driving suspiciously, too slowly or unpredictably? Is their braking erratic? Watch out for dodgy brake lights and dirty tricks like purposefully indicating the wrong way.
Drive extra carefully. Always double-check to make sure it’s safe to pull out, especially at junctions. Crash for cash scammers might flash you to let you in only to accelerate and crash into you.
How can I spot crash for cash scams?
Trust your instincts. Anything that makes you question their behaviour could be a signal you’re dealing with a con artist. For example, do they conveniently have all their details to hand, ready to make the exchange in no time, as if they were expecting an accident?
A genuine crash, including minor incidents, often leave people feeling a little shaken, but a fraudster carrying out a crash for cash scam may not appear quite so affected. In fact, they may come across as very confident and, in some cases, fairly relaxed about the whole thing.
The flipside to this scenario is that some scammers pretend to have an injury caused by the ‘accident’ or act as if what happened was a lot worse than it really was.
What if a crash for cash scam happens to me?
It’s important not to let scammers know if you think you’re on to them.
The best thing you can do is stay calm, act natural and try to get all the information you normally would after a genuine accident. Record as much evidence as possible, including:
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Photos
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Details
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Any other evidence
Document the scene and any vehicle damage. Having pictures at the time of the collision are normally a great help if someone else is trying to make out that the incident was worse than it really was.
Get the other person’s name, address, phone number, vehicle registration and, if possible, subtly write down a description of the person and their vehicle. Was there anyone else involved? Some scammers try to claim compensation for injury to people that weren’t even there!
Find witnesses and get their version of events in writing as well as their name and phone number. Look to see if there’s any CCTV available, including dash cams or doorbell cameras that may have footage of the accident.
When it’s safe to do so without raising alarm, you should get in touch with your insurer to let them know what’s happened and report any suspicions to the Insurance Fraud Bureau’s CheatLine.
Do dash cams help after a crash for cash attempt?
Dash cams can be very useful in providing your point of view of scam attempts like this and may also capture other key evidence, like the offender’s number plate and if anyone else was involved. This could prove invaluable in protecting your no claim discount and make sure your insurer can make a claim from the third party.
Trust us to keep car insurance simple
While car insurance can’t stop criminals from trying their luck, we can help you cover the cost if you’re involved in a genuine accident. With a choice of two cover levels, it’s easy to find the one that’s right for you. Get your Allianz car insurance quote quote today.
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