The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) recently highlighted that there’s been a rise in crash for cash moped scams, which involves fraudsters causing deliberate collisions to make bogus insurance claims and steal personal information.

The fraud scheme has impacted over 4,700 innocent members of the public, having a devastating impact. It is being investigated by the IFB in collaboration with its members and City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).

The scam has been reported across London and in parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, however it could be taking place anywhere in the UK. Many of the victims are women who are driving alone or with children, and elderly road users. As a result, the IFB is urging the public and enforcement officials, including police officers, to be vigilant.

As the majority of moped scammers are strongly believed to be driving with fraudulent motor insurance, and are therefore uninsured, it makes tackling the issue even more important.

To help you take action, the IFB team is sharing vital insights.

Identifying crash for cash moped scammers (for police reference only)

• The moped scammer is often, but not always, a courier (food delivery) driver.
• They hide behind a parked vehicle or in a side road before driving into oncoming traffic.
• They may have an accomplice who will ‘circle’ an area looking for opportunities to target a road user.
• The second moped driver might also act as a ‘spotter’ and may be using a Bluetooth headset to keep in communication and advise when the moped driver should pull out from behind a vehicle, or side road, to crash into a victim.
• The scams often take place in residential areas and busy high streets, and will see victims being targeted when stationary at a road junction and/or when about to turn.
• More incidents are taking place on weekdays (Tuesday to Friday) between 2pm-6pm, during school and working rush hour periods.
• Many of the victims are women and elderly people.
• A high proportion of suspects are of Brazilian or Portuguese nationality.
• There is often no damage to the moped, which will ride off following the incident, yet a claim is subsequently made for damage and a replacement hire vehicle.
• They will likely be using a fraudulent motor insurance policy, using stolen information.
• New tactic: The latest MO has seen a rise in moped scammers pressuring victims into showing copies of insurance certificates and driving licences, which is photographed by the scammer, with this personal information later being stolen for fraudulent purposes.

Advice for impacted road users

If you believe someone has been targeted in a crash for cash moped scam, please encourage them to also report the incident to their insurer and the IFB’s CheatLine; either via a confidential online form or phoneline 0800 422 0421.

If a motorist has had their details taken, please encourage them to consider filing for a protective registration with Cifas, which means that financial service providers will carry out enhanced checks to prevent anyone wrongly using their personal information.