Protect Yourself Against Auto Insurance Fraud

Auto insurance fraud is a scary but realistic crime that affects more and more driver each year. You may not be involved in these scams directly, but if you are involved in a car accident with a driver with fraudulent auto insurance, you may experience increased premium costs and other detrimental results.

Hard Insurance Scam

Also known as accident-related fraud, hard car insurance scams happen when one person causes an accident on purpose so that they can file a claim against the insurance company in order to make money.

There are certain clues to look for to protect yourself from being involved in a car accident that is caused by someone purposefully trying to make money from insurance claims. Most of these scammers are using you and your insurance in order to file claims that will eventually raise your premiums while allowing them to be reimbursed. Protect yourself from falling for these tricks and being involved in hard insurance scams.

One example of a driver trying to engage in accident-related fraud is when they are being overly generous in offering you passage, despite it being their right of way. For example, when a driver waves you forward to merge even though it is more reasonable for you to let them pass. You take their generous offer, and then they crash into you.

Another example is a driver who lets you tailgate them for a distance before slamming on the brakes to cause an accident. Hard insurance scammers love tailgaters because fender benders are common accidents that cause little damage but can rake in the profits.

Protect Yourself by Driving Safely

There are certain things you can do to avoid from being involved in a hard insurance scam. The most important is to drive safely. Don’t tailgate cars in front of you, because that is one of the most common ways to be scammed in an accident-related fraud. Drive a safe distance from any cars around you, especially in high-traffic situations.

You should always follow traffic laws. Even if a driver generously lets you cut in front of them, always drive safely and make sure you have the right of way if you are making a turn or merge. Never assume that another driver sees you in time before cutting them off or merging in front of them. You should be the person responsible for your own safety, and driving safely is the best way to protect yourself from any accidents, whether they’re the result of a fraud or not.