'Crash for cash' scams on the rise

THE number of "crash for cash" scams where drivers stage accidents to claim on insurance is increasing around the country, figures showed yesterday.

Typically the racket - in which fraudsters claim thousands of pounds on innocent drivers' insurance - has been prevalent in north west England. Now, though, data shows parts of London are in the top 10 hot spots for the first time, with east London, sixth, and north London, ninth.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) estimates around 30,000 accidents are staged each year, with each claim averaging around 17,000. It costs insurers about 350 million, adding 44 to the premium of every driver in the country.

Birmingham is the UK's top fraud hot spot, the IFB said, with the other four top places taken by Liverpool, Blackburn, Manchester and Leeds.

Fraudsters usually brake suddenly on a clear road or roundabout to make an innocent motorist drive into the back of them. They go on to claim for personal injury, damage to the car and recovery fees.

Sgt Mark Beales, from Greater Manchester Police, warned that criminals targeted their victims carefully.

He said: "What these fraudsters tend to pick on are single mums or elderly people, people who are less likely to cause them any issues.

"They also target commercial vehicle drivers, who tend not to care as much as they're not driving their own vehicle."

Glen Marr, from the IFB, said the scam costs everyone: "Overall, fraud adds 44 to the insurance premium of every motorist - no matter what no claims bonus or safe driving record he or she may have."