Awareness on traffic accident fraud

Traffic accident fraud was the theme discussed at a seminar organised by CSI (Collision Scene Investigation). Delegates were briefed by David Vassallo of CSI Malta, and Dominic Harris, a renowned specialist in insurance fraud in the UK, who gave a very detailed presentation on how this type of activity is handled across Europe.

Participants included senior members from the Malta Insurance Association (MIA), motor vehicle insurance companies, local police, surveyors, and damage assessors and representatives in the legal profession.

Mr Harris demonstrated various techniques and methodologies used to combat fraud and common findings when dealing with such cases.

When you are involved in a traffic accident, the last thing that comes to mind is to question whether the accident was pre-planned.

Recognising some common staged accident schemes can help you drive safer, prevent insurance fraud and keep insurance premia contained. In the uk traffic accident fraud costs the industry £14 billion a year in claims.

Four common auto accident schemes are:

Swoop and squat: this scheme involves three vehicles, two driven by criminals and the third by the victim. The criminals drive in front of the victim's vehicle when one of the criminals intentionally brakes suddenly. The victim can't react in time, rear ending the squat vehicle. The front vehicle keeps driving and the victim has to pay the vehicle damage of the squat vehicle.

Side swipe: this often occurs at busy intersections. As soon as the victim's vehicle drifts into the outer turn lane, the criminal side swipes it.

Panic stop: Criminals drive an older vehicle filled with passengers in front of the victim. A passenger watches and waits for the victim to be distracted, then tells the driver to brake suddenly, causing the victim to rear-end the criminal's vehicle.

Drive down: The victim merges his vehicle into traffic after being motioned in by the criminal. As the victim begins to merge, the criminal speeds up and causes a collision, later denying that he or she indicated the victim to merge.