Avoid Falling Victim to a Staged Car Crash Scam

The staged car accident scam is growing as perpetrators are getting craftier about entrapping unsuspecting motorists. Scammers usually meticulously plan their staged car accidents, leaving nothing to chance. You may not even know it was staged, while witnesses may only catch a glimpse and think they saw something they didn’t. Here are some common scams:

The T-bone – The scammer will wait for your car to proceed through an intersection and then floor it and T-bone your vehicle and claim you ran a red light or ran the stop sign.

The wave – As you try to switch lanes the scammer will wave you ahead and then they will accelerate and hit your car.

Stopping short – The scammer will slam on their brakes when your car is close behind so that you will crash into them.

Swoop and stop – One driver will suddenly pull in front of your car and stop. A second driver will simultaneously pull up alongside your car, preventing you from swerving to avoid an accident.

How to avoid accident scams

One of the best ways to avoid being the victim of a fake accident claim is by exercising caution while driving. Tailgating or failing to leave enough space between your vehicle and a vehicle ahead of you leaves you vulnerable to becoming the victim of a staged accident. All the driver ahead of you has to do is abruptly stop to cause you to crash into the rear of their vehicle.

If you believe you are being targeted by someone staging an accident, do not leave the scene. Call the police and let the officers who respond handle taking a report of the accident. Keep a camera (if you don’t have a smartphone), pen and paper in the car so that you can take photos and notes at the scene.

More motorists are also installing dash cams that turn on when the car starts and are constantly recording. These can be all the proof you need to refute the scammer’s side of the story. Take pictures from every angle of the involved vehicles, with special focus on the damage. Also, capture on camera the license plate, as well as photos of the driver and all the passengers in the other vehicle. Take down the following information:

• Driver license number
• Vehicle registration information
• Car insurance information
• Name, address and phone number
• The general height and weight (as well as the ethnicity) of the other car’s driver and passengers.

When you report the accident to your car insurance company, you should tell them if you suspect a scam.