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New wave of whiplash fraud: Crooks making fake claims by impersonating crash drivers

Published: 05:06 EST, 7 December 2016 | Updated: 05:27 EST, 7 December 2016

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Crooks are making fake whiplash claims in a new crime wave, impersonating drivers in order to fraudulently sue for compensation.

The scammers get a tip-off, perhaps from a garage, that a driver has been in a crash. They then impersonate the driver, calling their insurer to glean more details about the accident and policy.

Once they have enough information, the criminals then then submit a fake personal injury claim in the customer’s name, but give their own bank details to the insurer in order to receive compensation payouts, which can add up to thousands.

Criminal activity: Crooks are making fake whiplash claims in a new crime wave, impersonating drivers in order to fraudulently sue for compensation

Insurer LV= says it has seen a string of similar claims over the past months.

The number of whiplash claims has soared by 50 per cent in the past decade. Insurers say these payouts pile an average £93 a year onto everyone’s premiums.