There is a menace on the roads up and down the UK and it goes by the name of “crash for cash.” It’s a scam that van drivers are being warned about.
Up until now, the whole crash for cash scam has mostly affected car drivers. Maybe you’ve heard about it in the news, but always felt safe when in your van? Not anymore.
Research shows that van drivers are now being targeted by these organised crime gangs who roam the roads looking for their next prey. It’s an industry worth millions every year you see, which means there is a lot of cash up for grabs. These criminals want to get as much as they can.
During this new research, which was conducted by the IFB, or Insurance Fraud Bureau if you want to be more official, well, they highlighted the 10 so called “hotspots” where van drivers need to be on high alert.
The number 1 place to be vigilant for these scammers? Birmingham comes out on top, where road users are victims every single day, hour by hour.
Manchester and Bradford also feature highly on the list, while Bolton, Sheffield and Blackburn are also cities that van drivers are being warned about.
Surprisingly, London is named but not as one of the top cities. The reason? I think because most of these criminal gangs have their base in London, but prefer to ply their trade away from home turf.
How exactly does this whole crash for cash work anyway? Quite simply, a car or van will crash into your vehicle on purpose. They will then take your details and start claiming there was more damage than actually happened.
So for example, the scammers start hitting up your van insurance company for major repair costs, even though nothing really happened.
They manage to pocket a lot of free cash from this type of scam, with some estimates putting the crash for cash industry at a whopping £330 million a year. That is just under 1 million a day, that is being stolen from car and van drivers. It’s daylight robbery.
Why should you care though…yes it might be an inconvenience, but at the end of the day it’s your insurance company that picks up the tab, right? Wrong.
All that happens is that van insurance companies pass on the costs to you, the driver, who pays for it with more expensive premiums every year.
So make sure you are well aware when driving around these hotspots for any potential crash for cash incident about to happen. If it does happen and you suspect a scam, call the Police directly to the scene. Don’t let them get away with it.
You might also want to try comparing van insurance as a way to fight back. Yes, these crash for cash scammers might be winning right now, but if you get cheap quotes year after year then you have the last laugh.