Car crash insurance scams soar

The number of "crash for cash" scams where drivers stage accidents to claim on other drivers' insurance has reached record levels. The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) estimates around 30,000 accidents were staged last year, with each claim averaging around £17,000. The scams cost insurers about £350m in 2009 and added £44 to the premium of every driver in the country. Until recently, the claims were largely confined to northwest England, but the problem now looks as if it is spreading south. Birmingham is now the UK's top fraud hotspot ahead of Liverpool, Blackburn, Manchester and Leeds. East London currently has the sixth highest number of fraudulent claims while north London holds the ninth position. Fraudsters usually brake suddenly on a clear road or roundabout to make an innocent motorist drive into the back of their vehicle. They go on to claim for personal injury, damage to the car and recovery fees. It is usually accepted that a driver rear-ending another car must be at fault. Sergeant Mark Beales, from Greater Manchester Police, said the fraudsters targeted their victims carefully. He told the BBC: "What these fraudsters tend to pick on are people who are single mums or elderly people, people who are less likely to cause them any issues. "They also target drivers of commercial vehicles, because drivers tend not to care as much if they're not driving their own vehicle."