| Click on our Advertisement |
|
|
If you become a victim of automobile insurance fraud, you pay. Not only will you pay higher premiums because you may acquire a costly claim, but, as with any auto accident, you and your family could pay with your lives. It is important to protect yourself from others who may choose you to be a part of their next insurance fraud scam.
Insurance fraud began when insurance first began. Incidents have been recorded as far back as ancient Greece. Ship scuttling was an insurance scam in ancient Greece where ships were purposely sunk. Later insurance fraud traveled to England then to America. When automobiles were introduced it opened a whole new arena for fraudulent insurance claims. Today, with modern technology, many fraudulent claims do arise from sophisticated organized crime rings that can be hard to detect.
Don’t let this make you a victim. Whether the scam is from an organized crime ring or an individual, there are some common practices and signs you can be aware of to protect yourself from being a scammer’s next victim.
First, it is important to know what types of scams are used. Automobile insurance scams can range from vehicles deliberately stopping in front of a driver to cause a rear-end accident to drivers who pretend they are being helpful but intend to cause an accident that will look like the innocent drivers fault. Scams can also involve people one would generally trust such as doctors and lawyers.
Examples of Automobile Insurance Scams
• Staged Rear-End Accidents: A scam driver will quickly get in front of an innocent car and then slam on their brakes. This causes the innocent driver to rear-end the scam driver. Along with collecting money for vehicle damages, the scam driver will often fake medical injuries to collect even more.
• Adding Damage: After an accident, either staged or not, the scam driver will go to another location and cause extensive damage to their vehicle and claim that the damage happened during the original accident.
• Fake Helpers: Scam Helpers will wave an innocent driver into traffic, but then crash into the innocent driver. When it comes time to file the claim, the scam driver will deny waving anyone in. Other ways fake helpers try to scam people is by offering to help an innocent driver find a auto repair shop, doctor, or lawyer. In this case, everyone is in on the scam. The body shop charges you enormous rates, the doctor and lawyer also lie to collect more from your insurance.
Since these scams can happen at any time and place, it is important to be prepared. Awareness is the most important. Watch for drivers who may be following you or examining your driving habits. Also, make sure you leave plenty of room in front of you in order to stop. If an accident does happen, take notes on everything about the other car, the accident, and everybody that was in the other car. Keep a disposable camera in your car to record damage to both vehicles. Furthermore, use your judgment in driving, not others. Make sure you have enough room to get out and just let other cars pass instead of letting others “waive you in.” And, when you talk to your insurance company, let them know if you felt something was suspicious.
|
