According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), insurance fraud is the second-most costly form of white-collar crime in America. Raymond Nelson Insurance wants to give you some tips on the different types of scams and how to avoid them.
Scammers see car insurance as an opportunity to make money from unsuspecting victims. One act they follow is by staging accidents.
The Swoop and Squat
- Two vehicles trap a victim in a rear-end collision.
The Drive Down
- The scammer will signal for the victim to turn or merge at an intersection.
- When the victim starts turning, the scammer will speed up enough to cause a crash.
The Sideswipe
- In some intersections, the borders of the inner and outer turn lanes are unclear.
- The scammer will occupy the outer lane then sideswipe the victim’s car as they are turning.
- Because of the ambiguous lane division, the scammer will claim the victim caused the accident.
Panic Stop
- A vehicle intentionally watches for the car behind them to become distracted and then slams on their brakes, causing the tailing vehicle to rear-end them.
How to protect yourself
- Make sure you keep a reasonable distance between yourself and the other cars.
- If you do get in an accident, call the police and request an official report with the officer’s name.
- A report makes it difficult for scammers to damage their car after the accident and file a larger claim.
- Take photos of any damage from all angles and pictures of the other people involved.
At Raymond Nelson Insurance, we go the extra mile to find you the coverage that best protects what matters most, the business you’ve built, and the people you love. We always take the time to get to know each client and serve their best interests. Give us a call today at (270)885-1800 or contact us for more information.