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Home » Consumer Information » White Collar Crime

Staged Auto Accident Fraud

Being involved in a car accident is a frightening event that can become a costly and ongoing nightmare. While most people would do anything possible to avoid an accident, con artists will sometimes stage phony wrecks in the hopes of making money from their victim's insurance companies.

How it works

There are several accident fraud scams. One is known as the "swoop and squat". In this scam, a car driving directly in front of the intended victim will suddenly pull into another lane without signaling. This is called the swoop. When the car swerves away, it reveals another car just ahead which is stopped in the road, or squatting. That car is usually full of people, and their goal is for the "mark" to rear end their vehicle. When this happens, the passengers will all file injury complaints and claim to have whiplash or other aches and pains that are difficult to disprove. The scammers will then collect large insurance settlements following the phony accident.

Another fraud involves a driver in heavy traffic motioning to another driver that they may merge in front of them. As the victim attempts to pull into the lane, the scammer does not slow down and allows the cars to collide. When the police report is filed, the person who was trying to merge will appear to be at fault.

One fraud that is known as the T-Bone includes a driver and several onlookers who are part of the scam. The driver waits for a lone car to be passing through an intersection, and then pulls pulls in front of that car and forces an accident. The onlookers will claim that the driver ran a red light, so that the blame is put on the innocent victim, and the scammers will receive money from the insurance company.

Protecting yourself from accident fraud

The best advice to avoid any accident is to drive carefully and pay attention to everything going on around you whenever you are behind the wheel. If you are involved in an accident, contact the police and have them come to the scene and file a report. Only exchange basic information with the other driver, your name, insurance information, car make and model and a way to get in contact. Never give any private information that can be used to steal your identity.

The other driver may attempt to convince you to settle without involving your insurance company, and ask you for cash or a check. This is often a sign that they have set up the accident or do not have insurance, and it is best to avoid making a personal payoff and file a claim the proper way.

A con artist who is staging an accident may be difficult to avoid, but by remaining alert and vigilant at all times you can try to protect yourself from being victimized. Avoid driving too close to other cars and leave yourself plenty of space to brake and to merge into traffic. Always remember that when on the road, you are responsible for your own safety and the safety of anyone in your vehicle.

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