Crash for Cash
Definition: to stage or deliberately cause a road traffic collision solely for the purpose of financial gain.
Costing around £340m a year, ‘Crash for Cash’ scams are run by fraudsters who manufacture collisions, sometimes with innocent road users, hoping to profit from fraudulent insurance claims. With claims from a single collision potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds, organised fraudsters are orchestrating scams that involve multiple collisions and can be worth millions of pounds.
Identifying a ‘Crash for Cash’ scam
There are 3 different types of scam – Staged Accidents, Induced Accidents and Ghost Accidents.
Tell-tale signs that you’ve been in a Crash for Cash scam:
The other driver is far too calm for someone that’s been involved in a car accident
They have already written down their insurance details before the accident happened
Any injuries appear to be completely at odds with the force of the impact
What to do if you think you’ve been targeted:
Note as much information as you can about the event, the driver, any passengers and the circumstances
Take photos of the incident, if you are able
Call the police and report your suspicions
Call the IFB’s Cheatline on 0800 422 0421 – your information may help us connect your accident to a wider, organised scam.
Source: Insurance Fraud Boreau