‘Crash for cash’ scam investigated

POLICE are investigating a ‘crash for cash’ insurance scam after dozens of collisions in Birmingham. West Midlands Police have revealed how an organised crime group are believed to be behind dozens of deliberate crashes on the streets of the West Midlands.

The force says criminals may have pocketed up to £100,000 in bogus insurance injury claims after collisions were staged with innocent motorists over a five-month period from November 2018 to March 2019.

As part of their investigation officers raided a Bordesley Green property last week.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and fraud. Three other men have also been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Two men, aged 34 and 45, were detained at Birmingham addresses in March 2019 and the previous month a 30-year-old was arrested in Lichfield.

They have been released under investigation while investigators gather evidence. Several vehicles believed to have been used to commit the offences were seized.

Detective Inspector Kerrie Martin, from the West Midlands Police Economic Crime Unit, said: “Offenders will jam their brakes on at roundabouts in a bid to force the following them.

‘‘They will then claim to have suffered whiplash and make substantial insurance claims. Our suspicion is these men have claimed around £100,000 from bogus insurance claims.

‘‘But we are running a wider operation into an organised crime group, alongside the Insurance Fraud Bureau, that may have made millions from this scam over the last two years.”

The region has been identified as a UK crash-for-cash ‘hot spot’ with Birmingham having 10 of the top 30 postcodes identified by the Insurance Fraud Bureau.

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