A warning for everyone.

Loz

Torque King
Points
252
Location
Wolverhampton, U.K.
Car
MX-5
The Cash for Crash Scam.

You may have heard of this in the news. The scam is very simple & goes like this, two cars travelling close together will pull in front of a 'mark' the car, the leading car will suddenly stop or change direction, the second car will then stop sharply causing the 'mark' to run in to the back of them. They will then claim for injuries (whip lash etc.) sometimes for people who were never in the vehicle at the time, 'witnesses 'will suddenly appear from nowhere & on some occasions the gang members phone & call other members over. Other tactics include reversing into the 'marks ' car at traffic lights & reversing into cars in carparks & claiming whip lash. This scam was a major problem in the USA & now it's found it's way over here. The main areas gangs operate at the moment are around Yorkeshire, Lancashire, London & now I can confirm their in Birmingham too.
I work for Network Rail & last night they tried the same trick on me but I spotted what was happening & avoided an incident (but only just). In the last week three Network Rail vans have been caught out around Birmingham, it's fair to say that the gangs are more likely to target company vehicles because a company will pay up. But you could still become a victim so be very careful.

So the moral is don't drive too close to the car in front & leave a good gap at the lights. When driving around town or large cities just be very aware of what's around you, keep an eye out looking out for cars acting suspiciously.

If you do have a bump & you car is surrounded or the driver & passengers are trying to intimidate you then do not get out of the car. Lock your doors & phone the Police.

If you do have a near miss report it to the Police, at least then they will know which cars to look out for.

Lastly, wear you seat belts! Thanks for reading my little ramble & I hope it might help someone avoid an incident, and...
Hey! Lets be careful out there! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2QApwtE8zQ
 
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Good post Loz. Nice to have a heads up like this. I guess if you sound your horn before impact you are likely to get some witnesses on your side.

It's not a new one but it does seem to be gaining popularity.
 
I saw this on the news a good while ago, it was a gang of Asians doing it in Leeds but they got busted, Howeer I remember my mates wife getting caught out in a similar scam in Oxford 10 years ago(probably the same crew)
 
watch out have heard about this where the car that brakes sharpish ether has broken brake lights or none at all. this makes it much harder for you to stop before hitting them
 
Yes it's old scam that's gaining popularity again, especially around the Midlands. It's my mum I worry about as she does a lot of miles around the M25 & M1 on her own. :(

Did anyone like the Hill Street Blues clip? :amuse:
 
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Funny you should say that, the guys at work are saying if it happens again they'll give them something to claim for by hitting the accelerator instead of the brake peddle. :twisted:
 

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