Car Insurance Fraud: Was Your Accident Staged?
Insurance fraud is an easy way to get money and many scam artists are out looking for innocent victims. Learn some of the “tricks of the trade” scam artist use, so you won’t have to deal with unnecessary hassles.
There are 6 basic types of scams:
- Taking advantage of distracted drivers – If the scam driver sees you distracted or talking on your cell phone, they may smoothly back into you and claim they were rear-ended.
- Staged rear-end – A driver in front of you suddenly slams on his brakes. Remember to keep sufficient distance from all vehicles in front of you at all times.
- Always call the police – Some con artists will try to persuade you that there is no need to call the police but that you should exchange insurance information, to be safe. A few weeks after the accident, you may receive a claim filed against you for damages and/or injuries that the scammer claims to have sustained in the accident.
- Adding damage – After a real or staged accident, the driver tries to make the damage worse in order to claim it happened during your crash.
- “Nice” people – They wave or signal as if letting you in front of them but then hit your car and deny giving you permission to cut in front.
- “I have a friend who…” – They may seem friendly when recommending their body shop, doctor or lawyer, but everybody’s in on it. The shop will overcharge the insurance company and split the profit.
The key to avoiding car insurance scams is paying lots of attention when driving, because scam drivers are usually out looking for a distracted victim. If you suspect fraud, notify your insurance company.
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