New data obtained from police and insurance sources shows that staged car crashes have cost more than £25 million over the past five years, as fraud officers step up warnings to motorists.
Dashcam manufacturer Nextbase released exclusive footage to ITV News exposing the scale of the fraud, where criminals deliberately cause collisions to force payouts from unsuspecting drivers’ insurance policies. One victim, Kam Patel, described the moment he realised what had happened: “It was shocking, all I can say is it’s a shock to the system to know you’re a victim of a total staged set up.” He said he’d sensed something wasn’t right about the encounter, adding that his first instinct was to worry whether he’d hurt or set someone up, before realising he was the one being targeted.
The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), working alongside Nextbase, says it has investigated more than £25.3 million in suspected crash-for-cash cases over the last five years, with roughly three-quarters of those involving staged or induced collisions. Fraud officers are urging drivers to watch for a number of warning signs: single parked vans lurking near junctions, moped riders loitering suspiciously in residential side streets off busy high streets, and offenders who keep their helmets on after a “crash” to avoid identification. Fraudsters will often overreact and fake injuries to strengthen a bogus claim, and in some cases will attempt to photograph a driver’s licence and insurance documents at the roadside — information that can then be used to fraudulently take out insurance policies elsewhere. Motorists are advised to only hand over the details legally required: name, address, vehicle registration and insurance information.
Detective Inspector Christopher O’Donovan noted that even when an insurer pays out, victims still lose their no-claims bonus and can be left dealing with genuine injury or trauma from a crash they didn’t cause. A dashcam is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself, since clear timestamped footage can prove fault and shut down a fraudulent claim before it gets off the ground.
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