Final easing of lockdown expected to spark rise in 'Crash 4 Cash' induced collisions

27 July 2021 | David Young

Ageas is predicting a rise in induced road collisions, also known as 'Crash 4 Cash' scams, over the coming months as the UK leaves lockdown

Final easing of lockdown expected to spark rise in 'Crash 4 Cash' induced collisions

The company saw cases rise by 150% when the first national lockdown was lifted in 2020 and that it's expecting another rise when the latest lockdown restrictions are lifted in July.

Induced collisions are when a fraudster orchestrates an incident with an innocent victim to generate a claim, for example a motorist deliberately brakes in front of another to cause them to crash into their vehicle.

Earlier this year the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) published a list of the UK's Crash 4 Cash hotspots, with Birmingham topping the list as the place with the highest prevalence of this type of crime.

Ageas says its claims data reflects the IFB's findings, with Birmingham among one of the top places where its customers have been targeted.

Leicester, Coventry, Nottingham, Sheffield and Harrow and Romford in London were also hotspots according to Ageas' claims data.

Robin Challand, claims director at Ageas Insurance, says:

Lockdowns made it harder for Crash 4 Cash scammers to operate because with less traffic on the road it made it more difficult to disguise their actions. But as restrictions are lifted and road-use returns to more normal levels, that's when we see these criminals start to re-emerge and put innocent motorists at risk by causing accidents. We're urging motorists to be vigilant and be aware of some of the tell-tale signs of a scam.

Robin adds:

We've been told of some instances where the scammers are quite aggressive after the accident; no doubt as a way of intimidating the victim and tricking them into acting so quickly that they don't have time to question the events that have just happened.

Stephen Dalton, Head of intelligence and investigations at the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), said:

As traffic levels continue to get back to normal, drivers should be cautious of 'Crash for Cash' scams on the road as fraudsters may sadly be looking to make up for lost time. It's essential that drivers follow safe-driving guidelines to help prevent themselves from falling victim to this dangerous scam. In addition, if someone suspects they've seen a 'Crash for Cash' attempt it can be reported to our confidential and anonymous Cheatline online or on 0800 422 0421.