Driving is always dangerous. Any time someone is behind the wheel of a heavy vehicle, there’s a potential for an accident to happen, no matter how good of a driver you are. Most of us are taught about defensive driving when we get our licenses, but in addition to being on the lookout for other drivers making honest mistakes, you should also be aware of drivers trying to pull a potential insurance scam, like the one that’s going viral right now because it was all caught on tape. Watch the infuriating moment go down below:

How Does This Car Insurance Scam Work?

In the insurance scam caught on camera, the scammers break-checked the person in back of them in an effort to cause a crash, but when that failed, they backed into the victim. The group of con artists then shuffled around in the car to cause further confusion about who the driver was. They rub their necks and hold their heads in their hands and start taking photos in order to get the victim to react quickly. But when they noticed the dash cam on the victim’s car, they fled the scene.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says scams like this are more common in areas that see higher traffic, and that scammers will  “often target new, rental, or commercial vehicles because they tend to be well-insured.”

If this insurance scam had gone according to plan, the scammers would have reported the accident to insurance to collect the payout. Since the victim was the one in the back, in the absence of video proof, it would have be hard to prove they were not at fault, leaving them with a higher insurance premium and an accident on their record that wasn’t actually their fault. Making matters worse, the scammers would have been free to go off and repeat their scam.

How to Protect Yourself From Car Insurance Scams

The number one thing you can do to protect yourself from fake accident insurance scams is to have video evidence exonerating you. If you ever find yourself in this unfortunate situation, it’ll be your word against the scammer’s, and in most cases, the rear car is legally at fault.

Don’t just film on your phone the whole time; it isn’t safe, and it’s also an unnecessary drain on your battery. Instead, you might want to invest in a dash cam for your car. That’s what stopped this scammer, and it may protect you from this and other car accident scams.

In addition to having a dash cam, you should also be aware of who these scammers tend to target most. According to the NICB, scammers will opt for women driving alone or senior citizens more often. This is likely because they’re perceived as easier targets. Be cautious. Research common insurance scam scenarios to know what to look out for. And finally, record as much as you can in order to have evidence on your side.

Sources

Author
Rebecca Wright Brown
Rebecca has been her dad’s DIY assistant since she was old enough to walk. Prior to Family Handyman, she worked as a freelance writer and editor across industries.   
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