Common Auto Insurance Scams

​Being involved in a car accident may be inevitable, this is why you buy auto insurance to protect yourself from liabilities. However, car insurance scams have been prevalent with law-abiding drivers like you. Thus, here are the most common auto insurance scams that you must know to prevent your insurance privileges from going to waste.

The Forced Rear-ending
Apart from being the most common, the forced rear-ending or staged rear-ending is also the most dangerous scams among auto insurance claims. It can occur when the scammer slows down, immediately stop, or swoop in front of you while you're driving in heavy traffic. Thus, you will crash the scammer from behind, where he/she may claim money for payday, collision, and injury.

The Bad Samaritan
After having a car accident and while waiting for the tow service, you may encounter the scammer that works with the tow truck driver you called, where he/she may pose as the third-party insurance official. The scammer would convince you to use services for your injuries or lawyer for legalities, which you never heard from before. Then, they will take your information to file for false insurance claims and get a hefty cut out of it.

The Staged Accident
Other than rear-ending, a situation called "the drive down" can also occur as a fraud, where the scammer waves you into traffic, rams into the side of your car to merge the traffic as you did. Then, the scammer will deny that he/she permitted you and leave you liable for the incident.

Another similar scam occurs when your and the scammer's car vying for a parking space ends up to insurance claims for the collision. Another staged incident is called "sideswipe" that happens when the con artist intentionally rams your car while you are drifting to the outer lane via an inner one in a two-lane turn zone.

There are lots of auto insurance scammers on the road that you must watch out. The best way to avoid them is to be vigilant and follow the procedures, like staying in your lane. 

At Arnold, Bruce & Doerfler Insurance, we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. We make sure to go the extra mile to help you with your needs. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (503) 222-1951 or Click Here to request a free quote.