| Auto insurance fraud is dramatically on the | | | | committed by auto repair shops. They scam |
| increase. Non-profit sites like the Coalition Against | | | | insurance companies in several ways. |
| Insurance Fraud report that auto insurance fraud | | | | They may bill for work not actually performed on |
| costs in the region of $12.3 billion or more each | | | | the car, they may over quote on the work, |
| year. What's more it is a very lucrative business | | | | charging more for it than they should, claim for |
| for the criminals. | | | | property stolen from your vehicle that actually did |
| But how is this type of fraud generally | | | | not exist in the first place or deliberately cause |
| perpetrated and how can you tell if it has | | | | further damage to your car for which they bill the |
| happened to you? | | | | insurance company. |
| Auto insurance fraud often comes in several | | | | OTHER SCAMS |
| guises the more common ones being these: | | | | Several other auto insurance scams have recently |
| STAGED ACCIDENTS | | | | been reported including: |
| An accident is staged in which the drivers of two | | | | - Falsely reporting a car as stolen |
| or more vehicles intentionally collide with you. | | | | - Fake hit-and-run claims |
| Normally a driver will pull up in front of you by | | | | - Destroying a vehicle by setting it on fire |
| temporarily slamming on their brakes and their | | | | Being aware of these scams and frauds can help |
| accomplice will run into the back of you. | | | | you to avoid them and ensure you are not |
| They then make it look like it was your fault. | | | | considered to be part of the fraud by the |
| FAKE HELPERS | | | | insurance company if they suspect a fraud has |
| Scam Helpers will wave an innocent driver into | | | | taken place. |
| traffic, but then an accomplice will deliberately | | | | Trying to prove your innocence in some cases |
| crash into the driver. Again the innocent driver | | | | may be hard to do. |
| appears to be at fault. | | | | Now you are aware of some of the more |
| AUTO REPAIR SHOPS | | | | common auto insurance frauds you know what to |
| Auto insurance fraud is increasingly being | | | | look out for and can potentially avoid them. |