We live in a world where, unfortunately, scams are becoming more and more common. Scammers are always looking to find ways to get people’s money, and they are finding them, too. One very common scam that is both dangerous and alarming is known as crash for cash. Putting the life of their victims at risk, crash for cash scammers are a huge problem and an ongoing threat on the roads.
Just like with car accidents, you never know when you are going to become their next victim. In order to avoid this type of unfortunate situations, we need to understand what exactly are crash for cash scams. We need to know how to prevent or evade these scams, and of course, what to do when we think we might be a victim of a crash for cash scam.
What Are Crash for Cash Scams?
A crash for cash scam is an intentional accident, staged and caused by scammers. Their objective is filing quite high insurance claims, overstating the expenses of car repair and the injuries they got. Scammers will stage a car crash, usually rear-end collisions, and claim that you were at fault. Since they want you to pay for the damages and injuries, they are likely to work in gangs, having other drivers and even witnesses.
There are different scenarios they can stage, but they will usually pull the brakes randomly, giving you little to no time to react, making the collision unavoidable. When they involve other drivers, they usually get a no stopping vehicle, driving in in a reckless manner. This causes other scam drivers to suddenly hit the brakes for your car to crash into the back of their cars.
How Can We Avoid Crash for Cash Scams?
Even though we cannot know when we will be a victim of crash for cash, we can always prevent it. Being a safe, responsible driver is the first thing we need to keep in mind. We recommend attending a Defensive Driving course. This way, we can be prepared and react appropriately and in a timely manner. This way we have more chances of avoiding the collision, no matter how bad they are driving.
If we increase our precautions on the road, we are less likely to become a crash for cash victim. That’s why we should always be paying attention to the road, as well as other drivers, pedestrians, traffic signs, etcetera. However, if you happen to hit a car another car, there are some situations that can give the scammers away.
What Can We Do If We’ve Been Hit by A Possible Scammer?
One of the first things you will notice is that the scammer will be very calm. So, we should take this as a first possible scam indicator. Most people tend to experience shock, anger, and even anguish. They will also have all their insurance details ready before you even ask for them. If you see that all the passengers of a vehicle step down and state injuries more severe than what the crash would cause, remain alert. Sometimes, even staged witnesses will approach the crash and start saying you are at fault.
In order to prove that you are being a victim of a crash for cash scam, documenting every detail of the incident is crucial. Take photos and video of all the passengers, as well as both cars. Also, ask for the details of the insurance company, and the full names and contact information of all the passengers. If there is any witness, get their names and try to have them repeat their version of the accident. Dashcams are also recommended, as they can record valuable footage that might help you avoid being scammed.
