Crash for cash gangs targeting county drivers

CITY AND TOWN AMONG THE TOP 10 AREAS FOR REPORTS OF SCAM

MOTORISTS have been warned that crash for cash gangs are operating in the city and county.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) issued a warning to alert drivers to the tactics and said Leicester and Ashby were in the top 10 areas for the scam over the past 12 months.

The scam involves a driver deliberately staging an accident to make a false insurance claim.

The driver usually slams on their brakes at a busy junction or roundabout so the driver behind cannot stop in time.

The scam often also involves an accomplice in a second vehicle who drives erratically in front to distract the victim.

The fraudster in the car that has then been crashed into then blames the erratic driver for causing the crash, who usually speeds away and is nowhere to be found.

The scammers are also known to encourage other drivers to pull out of side roads or wait until they creep forward for a better view, only to crash into the side of them.

The IFB, set up by the insurance industry, has also said gangs operating the scam are starting to move into new areas.

As well as Leicester and Ashby the IFB identified Frome in Somerset, Worksop in Nottinghamshire, Cirencester in Gloucestershire, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Warrington and Derby as being among the areas targeted by gangs in the past 12 months.

Ben Fletcher, director at the IFB, said: “Crash for cash fraudsters are known to evolve their tactics and the latest evidence shows that they’ve started spreading out from prominent crime hotspots to less suspecting towns and cities in the hope that they can avoid detection.

“This change in tactic brings home the fact that no matter where people may live, everyone should be on their guard to these reckless car crash scams.

“To help us stop cases from rising and bring these fraudsters to justice, we urge drivers to look out for signs of crash for cash scams and to report any evidence of it to us straight away.”

Tom Hill, Detective Chief Inspector at City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said: “As we have seen in the past, a rise in cost of living and resulting financial hardships can often drive people to commit fraud.

“Unfortunately, this means that the public need to be even more alert than usual to fraudsters, like crash for cash drivers.”

Signs of a crash for cash scam could include:

The driver or their passengers appear to be unphased after the collision;

The driver or their passengers appear to exaggerate injuries;

Pre-written insurance information is handed over.

The IFB said people can pass on evidence by calling 0800 422 0421 or at: