The things that people will do for money! You won’t believe what some drivers get up to in an effort to milk their motor insurance policy for all it’s worth. Let’s take a look at the 4 most common car insurance scams from around the globe.
The ‘swoop’
There is a law that states that, regardless of the circumstances, if a driver rear-ends a car in front of him/her, it is the driver who is always at fault. Scammers often take full advantage of this fact by using a tactic known as ‘the swoop’ in an effort to collect on insurance. The scammer takes note of any small gaps in traffic and, having decided on an unfortunate victim, swoops into another lane, making it nearly impossible for the other vehicle to stop to avoid a collision. In order to avoid this happening to you, ensure that you keep a good following distance between you and other vehicles at all times.
The ‘hit and run’
This is occasionally done on purpose and sometimes in an effort to conceal what really happened in the event of an accident. The ‘hit and run’ occurs when a driver damages his/her vehicle and then claims that the accident was caused by another vehicle that fled the scene after the fact. Unless there are CCTV cameras in operation in the area at the time of the accident, it can be very difficult to validate this claim. However, if and when proven false, the driver can be charged with fraud.
The ‘wave in’
We are often grateful to courteous drivers who let us into a lane or allow us to cross a busy street when traffic is heavy. Unfortunately, though, some scammers do this in an effort to cause an accident and collect insurance money, claiming that they did not ‘wave you in’ in the first place. The accident then becomes your fault and you are forced to claim from your motor insurance provider in order to pay for the damage caused to both your vehicle and that of the scammer’s.
The ‘sideswipe’
Be cautious when there are 2 turning lanes. A scammer in this situation may intentionally drift into your lane, resulting in a sideswipe accident. The scammer will then insist that you were the one doing the drifting and, since it can be difficult to prove either way. He/she then often ends up collecting on the insurance pay-out.
Knowing how easy it is to be involved in someone else’s scam, it becomes evident that car insurance is a must for all drivers on the roads of SA. For a hassle-free quote, be sure to get in touch with King Price today
