Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and London are among the areas most affected by UK crash-for-cash scams, according to a new analysis.
Crash for cash is an insurance scam where fraudsters deliberately cause dangerous road crashes, often targeting innocent people, in an attempt to claim compensation and the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has listed the top 30 areas in the UK. United.
The IFB helps insurers and law enforcement fight fraud, and new research has been conducted to help disrupt organized fraud networks.
Out of 2.7 million car insurance claims made in the UK between the start of October 2019 and the end of 2020, more than 170,000 claims could be linked to an alleged crash in treasury networks.
The IFB said it hopes that by identifying crashes for cash hot spots, people will be encouraged to be vigilant as more drivers start to take to the roads.
IFB’s investigations have found that single gangs can be behind thousands of orchestrated collisions in some areas, with the combined value of their fraudulent claims running into the millions.
Ben Fletcher, Director of the IFB, said: “The cash fraud crisis is wreaking havoc with countless victims and increasing the costs of auto insurance for all of us.
“The IFB’s hotspot analysis is a stark reminder that while great strides have been made in solving the problem, these auto crash scams are all too common.
“As traffic levels return to normal after the nationwide lockdown, the collapse of cash scammers may seek to make up for lost time. We hope that by shining the spotlight on this issue, we will encourage road users to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the IFB Cheatline on 0800 422 0421. ”
The IFB highlighted the case of a cash victim crash, which was an LV = General Insurance customer. A court case was successfully completed after an attempt to claim compensation.
He said: “At the time, I was using a dashcam which provided crucial evidence for the case, so that would be my best advice to anyone. I have been fortunate to get support and justice, but others may not be so fortunate, so it is important to raise awareness more.
James Dalton, General Insurance Policy Director at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), said: “These criminal gangs are often very organized and put lives at risk. The amounts they fraudulently claim can be huge and can impact the auto premiums paid by honest motorists.
“With more vehicles on the roads as we break out of pandemic restrictions, the potential targets for these criminals are increasing. This is why it is so important that all motorists are on their guard – if you think an incident is suspicious, do not put yourself in danger, but report your suspicions to the confidential IFB Cheatline.
Chief Detective Inspector Edelle Michaels, Head of the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Service (IFED), said: ‘We have seen this crash for fraudsters time and time again. in cash not caring about the safety of their victims, with a trio even targeting a pregnant woman in 2019. ”
Top 30 crashes for cash postal codes in the UK and the city they are in, according to the IFB:
1. B25 Birmingham
2. B34 Birmingham
3. B8 Birmingham
4. BD7 Bradford
5. BD3 Bradford
6. WS1 Walsall
7. BB9 Blackburn
8. BD8 Bradford
9. B27 Birmingham
10. RM18 Romford
11. B33 Birmingham
12. WF13 Wakefield
13. BD15 Bradford
14. OL8 Oldham
15. HX1 Halifax
16. M8 Manchester
17. LS8 Leeds
18. N9 North London
19. WF16 Wakefield
20. LU3 Luton
21. WS2 Walsall
22. BD2 Bradford
23. BD5 Bradford
24. B11 Birmingham
25. HP12 High Wycombe
26. B28 Birmingham
27. RM8 Romford
28. LU4 Luton
29. IG3 Ilford
30. BD9 Bradford
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-12 06:01:00
