Los Angeles–A seemingly simple fender bender might really be a financial fraud. Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reminds drivers of the Staged Auto Collision Scam.
In the Staged Auto Collision Scam, criminals quickly pull in front of another vehicle and hit the brakes, causing a rear-end collision that appears to be the other driver’s fault. The fraudsters then collect payouts from the victim’s insurance.
Scammers use a variety of tricks, such as waving for victims to merge and then suddenly pulling forward so that their vehicle is struck, saying a crash caused damage that was already on a vehicle and falsely claiming they and their passengers were seriously injured.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office issues the following tips:
- Immediately call police to a crash scene.
- Take photos of the other person’s driver’s license, license plate, vehicle damage and passengers.
- Don’t use a body shop recommended by the other driver; it could be part of the scam.
