INSURANCE SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

INSURANCE FRAUD BUREAU EXPERT GIVES US THE LOWDOWN ON THE LATEST SWINDLES

- Chris Rosamond

INSURANCE scammers on mopeds have targeted more than 4,000 victims, with fraudulent insurance claims topping £70 million.

That's the startling claim of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), which is working with the City of London Police to investigate an issue that's reached a scale described as "unprecedented".

The crash-for-cash moped scam is especially prevalent in South and West London, and there are signs that criminal perpetrators are honing their approach by picking on vulnerable victims.

"The scale and impact of moped scams is unprecedented and has grown to become one of the largest, most complex crash-for-cash investigations we've ever seen," says IFB director Ursula Jallow.

"Thousands of people have been targeted, and these shameless scammers' tactics are becoming increasingly aggressive. For instance, women who are driving alone or with their children are being targeted." Moped scammers are mostly targeting Londoners, but the IFB is warning the trend could spread to other parts of the UK, where road users may be less suspecting.

However, moped riders 'crashing for cash' is just one example of the types of fraud drivers need to be on the lookout for. We spoke to Nicola Smith, Intelligence & Investigations Manager at the IFB, for an up-to-date appraisal of the current risks.

The IFB is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the insurance industry, and one of its key functions is sharing data that helps companies to identify fraud - and potential fraudsters. So here's what drivers and consumers should be looking out for.

GHOST BROKING