Drivers urged to watch out for crafty moped scam in major cities that can cost £1,000s – but there’s a way to prevent it

DRIVERS in major cities have been urged to watch out for a crafty moped scam that could cost them thousands.

The dangerous stunt could even have deadly consequences - but there is an easy way to prevent it.

A leading insurance provider has reported a steep increase in cases of "cash for crash" fraud over the past year.

As the name suggests, this is when a driver deliberately causes a crash and then blames the other party in an attempt to make a false insurance claim.

Common examples include scammers brake checking to force someone else to hit them from behind, under the common misconception that this automatically makes the victim liable.

It has now reportedly become particularly prevalent amongst moped drivers as cheap or stolen vehicles can be used to make massive claims for damage and alleged personal injury.

Major insurer Allianz has found that cases of suspected cash for crash have risen by 60 times since the beginning of 2023.

They work in pairs and generally target lone women drivers

Ros Karamath

And the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) estimates that up to £27 million is tied up in fraudulent claims.

Ros Karamath, from South London, told about her experience of allegedly falling victim to such a scam while turning out from a junction.

She claimed: "I was surprised to see that a moped rider on my right had stopped the traffic and was waving me across the road.

"Having checked the way was clear to my left, as I pulled away a second moped passed him and crashed into the front offside wing of my car.

"The rider jumped off his bike and immediately began taking photographs of the scene.

"As we exchanged details, he was very calm and I noticed the other rider had left."

Fortunately, Ros claimed she had been able to snap a photo of the rider's number plate and show that his bike had not been damaged.

The 65-year-old is now a member of a local WhatsApp group dedicated to helping people caught in cash for crash cases.

She went on: "They work in pairs and generally target lone women drivers.

"Some will even demand cash but most are doing it to claim personal injury compensation."

Matt Crabtree, Allianz's head of financial crime intelligence and investigation strategy, added: "Organised criminal gangs have evolved their tactics so we’re seeing them move around and use small clusters across wider areas to try to avoid detection."

Thankfully, there is one simple way to beat the scam - installing a dash cam on your vehicle.

You can use the footage from the camera to prove that you were not liable for a collision.

Even if you go into the back of someone else, despite the common myth, you can still win the claim if you can show that they were at fault.

It comes after Martin Lewis' MSE revealed the exact time to renew your car insurance to get the best deal.