Insurance scams aren’t something new, but experts are now warning that tactics on the road are becoming more sophisticated and more dangers.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has analysed 3.3 million claims, identifying key ‘hotspot’ areas across the UK and noting a rise in more organised, deliberate scam activity.
Parts of Central London, Bradford and Birmingham are the key areas with the highest proportion of ‘suspicious claim’ activity, while fraudsters are using techniques to manufacture collisions more regularly.
That includes encouraging drivers to pull out from slip roads before colliding with them on purpose, using mopeds to stage incidents and utilising roundabouts to cause a collision.
For fleets, this poses a real threat.
Incidents with vehicles and drivers are enough of a headache to deal with on their own, but factor in the downtime legal process when it comes to fraudulent incidents and it can waste significant amount of time, money, and energy.
Experts have also been warning about a rise in identify theft, including with driving licences, which is making driving licence checking even more crucial.
You can find out more about our Licence Monitor to keep you and your fleet on top of things here.
It’s a reminder that fleet drivers need to be extra cautious when out on the road, given the prevalence of dangerous driving and ‘cash for crash’ scams out there.
The most dangerous spots for collisions is usually where traffic merges, such as at junctions, roundabouts and on slip roads entering A-roads and motorways, which is why taking extra precautions is so vital.
