Motorists are being targeted by a more aggressive version of the ‘crash for cash’ scam. In the past, criminals would stage collisions with unsuspecting motorists in order to file fraudulent insurance claims. If a criminal was able to avoid the insurer’s fraud detection systems, he or she stood to earn a sizeable payment. Recently, criminals have begun trying a more direct approach.
Criminals still stage collisions with motorists, but the method of payment has changed. Now, criminals directly ask their victims for payments instead of risking their crimes being discovered by insurers’ fraud detection systems. The criminals imply that handing over whatever cash the victims have on hand will be more cost effective for everyone involved in the long run, rather than to have matters sorted out by insurers.
In order to maximise their profits, criminals regularly perform the scam several times a day, specifically targeting young women and elderly couples. Even if you do not match the criminals’ targeted profile, follow these two pieces of advice in the event of a motor collision to avoid being duped by the new scam:
- Call the authorities, even if it is a minor accident.
- Always collect the other motorist’s name, phone number and insurance information, and take down the other vehicle’s make, model and number plate.
