Almost half of British public unaware of ‘crash for cash’ fraud claims
Not enough motorists are aware of a dangerous scam currently taking place on roads across the UK, which has been dubbed ‘crash for cash’.
According to research carried out by More Than, the UK insurance group, 41 per cent of British drivers have never heard of this particular criminal act, which sees fraudsters intentionally causing car crashes in order to claim insurance, often claiming whiplash compensation.
Although it is widely believed that fraudulent claims such as these are currently on the rise in the country due to the on-going recession, the research discovered that over the last two years, incidents have dropped by 11 per cent, mainly as a result of insurance companies and the police making an effort to crack down on the fraudsters.
However, Pete Markey, a spokesperson for More Than, thinks that more people need to make themselves aware of the scam. “If more drivers were made aware of the dangers they are facing, it becomes more likely that they will be able to report anything unusual to their insurance company.”
The research also found that of those involved with such a crash, two-thirds did not realise that it was staged and a further third would not know what to do in such a situation anyway.
If you are involved in a road accident and believe that it could be an attempt of a ‘crash for cash’ scam, you should get in touch with your insurance company immediately and alert them of your suspicions. Not only will they then have your side of the story on file but they will be more prepared to look out for anything out of the ordinary.
Also, in addition to exchanging insurance details with the driver, try to make a note of how many passengers are in their car. For example, if it is a fraudulent claim, they may be claiming whiplash compensation for themselves and three passengers, when they may have only had one passenger when the road accident took place. This will help you to protect yourself from any phantom passenger claims, which could otherwise increase the claim being made against your insurance.
Lastly, this scam can be avoided with safe, careful driving. Always keep a safe braking distance from the car in front, as you will always be liable if they brake suddenly causing you to hit them in the rear, even if you argue that there was nothing causing them to brake. Don’t help them out by driving too close to them, as the fraudsters will be on the lookout for distracted drivers or those who are driving close behind them in the first place.