Everyone knows insurance rates are ridiculous these days, but that doesn’t justify trying to scam your insurance carrier. Some people might justify such a crime and that’s why authorities are monitoring for all kinds of scams. One of the latest is a hit-and-run scheme five people allegedly staged in Southern California, earning them each a felony charge.
Couple intentionally crashed into cars, uploaded videos online.
According to the California Department of Insurance, it was able to establish that a reported hit-and-run collision was in fact fraud thanks to home surveillance footage and eyewitness testimonies. The alleged scam took place in Ontario, which is east of Los Angeles in the Inland Empire area of Southern California.
The surveillance footage, which we’ve included for your viewing pleasure, shows a woman park a vehicle in the middle of a residential intersection, then get out and walk away. A second car comes into frame, colliding with the parked vehicle. That second person gets out and walks away, then the original woman gets back in the first car.
Authorities say the woman called police to report the supposed hit-and-run accident, then filed an insurance claim. Had her and four accomplices been successful with this scheme, they would’ve received a $30,000 payout from the insurance carrier.
What first caused suspicion was when officers investigated at the crash scene, witnesses claimed to have seen the woman get into the car only after the collision. They were able to get surveillance footage from one of the neighbors, proving the sequence of events as they truly played out.
We’ve seen other insurance scams across the country, including people intentionally causing accidents, then blaming the other party so they can collect an insurance settlement. This is why having cameras not only on your house but in your car could save you from false claims.
Image via California Department of Insurance
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