Insurance fraudsters being tracked down

Analysis by Direct Line has identified the UK's top ten ‘crash for cash' hotspots, as the insurer steps up its fight against fraudsters who cost every other motorist an average of £44 a year and delay payments for genuine claims.
The '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. Direct Line's sophisticated monitoring of data and coordinated nationwide investigations means its anti-fraud team are aware of hundreds of sites that have been used by fraudsters, enabling them to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The scams are estimated to cost up to £350 million a year increasing the insurance premiums of honest drivers, as well as delaying payouts for claims that happened at known hotspots by up to three weeks. Further analysis has enabled Direct Line to map the entire country to highlight evidence of suspicious claims and determine the ten worst hotspots for the scams. By utilising this information alongside specially developed technology and methodology, Direct Line is able to catch fraudsters more easily and quickly. Kate Lotts, Director of Specialist Claims at Direct Line said, "Crash for cash scams pose a significant risk to public safety. "As well as adding to the cost of insurance, they delay payouts on genuine claims as any reported accident at a known scam site has to undergo additional investigations. "Just the actions of a few, can cost motorists a significant amount of money and pose a real threat to people's lives. "Our investigation systems mean that we can pinpoint areas of concern and the hotspots are just a small proportion of the data that we share with the rest of the insurance industry. "We will not tolerate fraudsters and always push for the harshest penalties, as we have a duty to protect our customers. Every pound taken by a fraudster is a pound taken from honest motorists."		Crash for cash troublespots top ten 1. Centenary Way, Trafford Park, Manchester 2. Haslingden roundabout, Junction 5, M65 3. Scotland Road roundabout, Junction 13, M65 4. Gannow Top roundabout, Cavalry Way, Burnley 5. Eden Point roundabout, A34, Stockport 6. Denham roundabout, M40 7. Jarman Park, A414, Hemel Hempstead 8. Parkway Uxbridge Road A312 / A4020 9. Port Way / Strand Road junction , Preston 10. Junction 24 roundabout, M25

		Direct Line offers the following tips for drivers to protect themselves against fraudsters: • If you suspect someone in front of you is driving erratically give them as wide a berth as possible • In the event of an accident record as much detail as possible including names, addresses and dates of birth of claimants • Make a note of how many people are in the other vehicle • If possible take photographs with your mobile phone • Get full names and addresses of any witnesses • Make sure you highlight concerns to your insurer You can report information free of charge to the Insurance Fraud Bureau' confidential hotline on 0800 328 2550.