How much would you say you know about auto insurance fraud? If you're like the majority of the population you know just enough to stop yourself from committing it and not much more. The question is, do you know enough to stop yourself from becoming a victim? Or are you doomed to be the next player on "The Scam is Right"?
What most of us know about auto insurance could be confined to the head of a pin-or the text of the rather long document filled with legal-ese that you signed when you first bought your auto insurance policy. Most of it involves what we shouldn't do. For example, you shouldn't strip the plates off your car, scratch out the serial number, hide it in a garage and declare it stolen. 99.9% of the time your insurance claims adjustor finds out about it. It's just not worth it.
What you probably don't know is that while you're out there trying your best NOT to commit insurance fraud there are other drivers trolling for innocents like you, just waiting for their chance to strike it big on their auto insurance claims. If you didn't know what they were up to you might make the mistake of thinking the accident they're going to lure you into is your fault.
You might even make the mistake of not fighting back when they rake you over the coals, setting the stage for higher auto insurance quotes for years to come.
Since the last thing you need is more bills to pay, it pays to be careful. And to look twice when you're in an accident.
There are three common types of auto insurance scams you need to keep an eye out for. The first is the Good Samaritan. At some point or another you're going to find yourself dependent on the good manners of another driver to make your way into traffic. You'll smile gratefully as they wave you on, then pull out of your stop and onto the road without giving it another thought.
That's when the Good Samaritan closes their trap. Instead of just waiting for you, as they promised to do, they hit the gas and pull forward. They smash into the side of your car, causing thousands of dollars in damage to both of your vehicles, then blame you for the whole thing. How could they have waved you into traffic? They didn't even know you were there!
The next scammer you want to look out for is the Car Smasher. This kind, philanthropic individual will actually be involved in an MVA (motor vehicle accident). Whether they set it up or it happens by chance, nobody really knows. What they do know is that when the auto insurance claims are filed you're going to be held responsible for thousands of dollars worth of damages you didn't commit. Why?
Because they took a baseball bat to their car the minute your back was turned and blamed it on you.
Needless to say, this probably isn't their primary vehicle.
Finally, let's talk about the Rear Ender. This is one of the most sinister scams, because you're almost never going to be able to prove it wasn't your fault. You're driving along, minding your own business and conscientiously maintaining following distance, when a car whips into traffic in front of you and cuts you off. They slam on their brakes, you slam on yours, but there's nothing you can do. You slam firmly into their rear bumper.
If you think you've been the victim of one of these auto insurance scams, you're in good company. Which is cold comfort in and of itself but can give you a fighting chance when the time comes to prove whodunit in court. Remember, scammers don't usually stop at one. Let your insurance company know if something seems rotten in Denmark. If the con artist has a history of this kind of behavior you might be able to stop their bad behavior from affecting your life (and your auto insurance rates) for years to come.
