Raid leads to arrest of suspected 'Crash for Cash' scammer in West Midlands

A 33-year-old man has been arrested following a joint investigation between the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and West Midlands Police into a series of suspected ‘Crash for Cash’ scams in the West Midlands area.

West Midlands Police Officers raided the man’s home in Bordesley Green, Birmingham at 7am on 15 July which swiftly followed with his arrest on suspicion of dangerous driving and fraud – making the individual the fourth arrested in connection with the investigation.

It’s believed the man had been behind a series of organised ‘Crash for Cash’ scams which is where fraudsters carry out dangerous driving manoeuvres to cause deliberate motor collisions with innocent members of the public, to attempt to make money through insurance claims.

“Insurance scams like ‘Crash for Cash’ put innocent members of the public at serious risk of harm, just so fraudsters can try to line their pockets by making bogus insurance claims. We’re pleased positive progress has been made and we’ll continue to work in partnership with West Midlands Police to disrupt those responsible for orchestrating such reckless schemes. If the public has any evidence of insurance fraud, it can be reported to us via our confidential CheatLine.” – Stephen Dalton, Head of Intelligence and Investigations at the IFB.

In total, the four arrested men may have pocketed up to £100,000 from fraudulent claims by staging such collisions. In addition, a wider investigation into the issue may mean ‘Crash for Cash’ scams in the Midlands area may have resulted in fraudsters making millions in recent years.

More information about the latest arrest can be found on West Midlands Police’s News page.

To learn more about ‘Crash for Cash’ scams and how drivers can protect themselves from falling victim, please visit the IFB’s dedicated advice page.