This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35927989
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Birmingham named worst city for crash for cash claims | Birmingham named worst city for crash for cash claims |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Birmingham has been ranked as England's "crash for cash" capital. | Birmingham has been ranked as England's "crash for cash" capital. |
| The second city is the number one location where motorists are most likely to fall victim to the scam, according to an insurance group. | The second city is the number one location where motorists are most likely to fall victim to the scam, according to an insurance group. |
| Aviva said 25% of its 3,000 crash for cash claims last year were in Birmingham, in particular the B11 area of Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Tyseley. | Aviva said 25% of its 3,000 crash for cash claims last year were in Birmingham, in particular the B11 area of Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Tyseley. |
| Research showed Leeds, Harrow, parts of London, Bradford, Luton, Coventry and Oldham were all in the top 10 hotspots. | Research showed Leeds, Harrow, parts of London, Bradford, Luton, Coventry and Oldham were all in the top 10 hotspots. |
| More on crash for cash, plus other Birmingham stories | |
| The figures include induced accidents, where innocent motorists are targeted, as well as staged accidents, when two damaged cars are brought together to make it look like an accident. | The figures include induced accidents, where innocent motorists are targeted, as well as staged accidents, when two damaged cars are brought together to make it look like an accident. |
| The biggest crash for cash scam in the UK involved a gang making bogus claims worth £132,000. | |
| And in one case, a staged accident caused the death of another driver. | |
| Recently, gangs have targeted bus passengers to claim thousands in alleged whiplash injuries. | |
| What is a 'crash for cash' scam? | |
| Source: How do I avoid being a 'crash for cash' victim? | |
| 'Significant drain' | 'Significant drain' |
| The number of induced accidents in 2015 fell by 2% compared to a record high the previous year, Aviva said. | The number of induced accidents in 2015 fell by 2% compared to a record high the previous year, Aviva said. |
| However, there was a 40% year-on-year drop in the number of staged accidents, which was attributed to the introduction of more stringent measures around taking out a policy. | However, there was a 40% year-on-year drop in the number of staged accidents, which was attributed to the introduction of more stringent measures around taking out a policy. |
| Tom Gardiner, head of fraud at Aviva, said: "Induced accidents now account for nearly half of all organised motor fraud we detect. | Tom Gardiner, head of fraud at Aviva, said: "Induced accidents now account for nearly half of all organised motor fraud we detect. |
| "Crash for cash does not just push up premiums for genuine customers, it puts innocent motorists at risk. | "Crash for cash does not just push up premiums for genuine customers, it puts innocent motorists at risk. |
| "It is also a significant drain on scarce public resources such as ambulance, police and A&E time, all of which are wasted on these entirely bogus claims." | "It is also a significant drain on scarce public resources such as ambulance, police and A&E time, all of which are wasted on these entirely bogus claims." |
| The insurer said the problem could also be moving to new areas after some postcodes in Worcester, Margate and Leicester were found to be hotspots. | The insurer said the problem could also be moving to new areas after some postcodes in Worcester, Margate and Leicester were found to be hotspots. |
| Former West Midlands Police detective Neil Thomas who now independently investigates fraudulent crashes, said Birmingham and other big cities are specifically targeted. | Former West Midlands Police detective Neil Thomas who now independently investigates fraudulent crashes, said Birmingham and other big cities are specifically targeted. |
| He said: "Birmingham is quite an obvious choice - it has been a hotspot for a number of years. There's the high volume of traffic and also the road network. | He said: "Birmingham is quite an obvious choice - it has been a hotspot for a number of years. There's the high volume of traffic and also the road network. |
| "In any big city... there are going to be genuine traffic collisions. | "In any big city... there are going to be genuine traffic collisions. |
| "The fraudster can then get away with having staged incidents because people won't notice them" | "The fraudster can then get away with having staged incidents because people won't notice them" |
| The top 10 crash for cash locations in 2015: | The top 10 crash for cash locations in 2015: |
| 1. Birmingham | 1. Birmingham |
| 2. North London | 2. North London |
| 3. East London | 3. East London |
| 4. Leeds | 4. Leeds |
| 5. Harrow | 5. Harrow |
| 6. North West London | 6. North West London |
| 7. Bradford | 7. Bradford |
| 8. Luton | 8. Luton |
| 9. Coventry | 9. Coventry |
| 10. Oldham | 10. Oldham |
| Source: Aviva | Source: Aviva |
Previous version
1
Next version