Fraudsters target rural areas in motor insurance scams
I have for some time as you know been interested in rural crime. I have previously trailed the really interesting working of my friend Professor Gerard McElwee of Nottingham Trent and his collaborator Rob Smith of Robert Gordon University in Abredeen on this issue. The issue covered by this report is small beer compared to the broader policy and social implications of their work but it still throws an interesting side light onto the distinctive role rural places play in supporting illegal actions. The article explains:
“Industry experts have warned that this shift by fraudsters to rural areas – where they believe they will be harder to detect – is endangering more lives. This is due to less traffic enabling average speeds on rural roads to be higher than in urban areas. Crash for cash fraudsters fake accidents by making unnecessary emergency stops at busy roundabouts or slip roads, forcing motorists to crash into them. They then make bogus claims to the innocent motorist’s insurer, often including fictitious injuries and passengers. These staged car accidents are estimated to account for £44 from every motor insurance policy.”