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FridgeMagnet
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21-07-2018, 12:30 PM
1

Crash for cash scams

Have you ever fallen victim to one? Or even an attempted one?
I have! Some years ago. I was on the North Circular road near Palmers green in North London. The early evening rush hour had just started. The traffic lights had just changed to green. Traffic started to move but then the car in front of me suddenly put his hazards on. An elderly Eastern European looking ‘gentleman’. He just sat in his car, looking all around. Anywhere but behind him!
So I did the obvious thing. I slowly, gingerly reversed, in order to pass him. But the instant I moved I bumped into the car behind me. The gentlest of taps. The car behind me had pulled up as close as possible behind me. Whereupon. Two more young Eastern European gentlemen got out of the car came up to me and started shouting “you hit my car” “you’ve just run into my car”. In the mean time. The car in front had just pulled away.
So I just denied hitting them. Claiming it never happened. It was the gentlest of bumps anyway. So they just gave up. Banging on the roof of my car with his fist, and got back into his car. Now they’d have to go all the way round again to set up and try to fleece some other victim!
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21-07-2018, 12:48 PM
2

Re: Crash for cash scams

Originally Posted by FridgeMagnet ->
Have you ever fallen victim to one? Or even an attempted one?
I have! Some years ago. I was on the North Circular road near Palmers green in North London. The early evening rush hour had just started. The traffic lights had just changed to green. Traffic started to move but then the car in front of me suddenly put his hazards on. An elderly Eastern European looking ‘gentleman’. He just sat in his car, looking all around. Anywhere but behind him!
So I did the obvious thing. I slowly, gingerly reversed, in order to pass him. But the instant I moved I bumped into the car behind me. The gentlest of taps. The car behind me had pulled up as close as possible behind me. Whereupon. Two more young Eastern European gentlemen got out of the car came up to me and started shouting “you hit my car” “you’ve just run into my car”. In the mean time. The car in front had just pulled away.
So I just denied hitting them. Claiming it never happened. It was the gentlest of bumps anyway. So they just gave up. Banging on the roof of my car with his fist, and got back into his car. Now they’d have to go all the way round again to set up and try to fleece some other victim!
My niece has fallen victim twice. I always keep a firm eye on those in front and keep well back if I think their driving is dodgy.
FridgeMagnet
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21-07-2018, 01:16 PM
3

Re: Crash for cash scams

I’ve also invested in a dashcam now. Particularly after watching some of the car crash programmes on TV.
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21-07-2018, 02:47 PM
4

Re: Crash for cash scams

Originally Posted by FridgeMagnet ->
I’ve also invested in a dashcam now. Particularly after watching some of the car crash programmes on TV.
Sound advice. I've been using one for a while now and I'm always on the look-out for a clapped out old banger in front of me, the type that will be written off in case of a bump but not before a claim for damages and whiplash.
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23-07-2018, 08:13 PM
5

Re: Crash for cash scams

Yep, dashcam's absolutely the business now. I drive with one at the front and one at the back. Small, discrete, hard to see from outside so not going to get stolen. They are simply wired with long cables that plug into my cigarette lighter USB socket. As soon as the car starts up the power to them fires up automatically and they start recording with no intervention from me. On switching the car off they turn themselves off after 10 seconds.

Each camera cost only £55 plus I also bought 64GB SD cards for them.

Within 3 weeks of buying them, a young inexperienced driver ran into the back of me at a roundabout. Sent the dashcam footage to my insurers and they paid up immediately, no penalty to my no claims and no excess to pay.

Job done.

Would never ever drive without a dashcam now.
FridgeMagnet
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23-07-2018, 08:23 PM
6

Re: Crash for cash scams

I’ve recently joined the Facebook ‘Dashcam users’ group.
Some fascinating videos on show there.
Mine cost £19.95 from a Sainsbury’s filling station. A good device inspite of the low price. It has a 16gb SDcard in it. Enough for 4 hours of driving. I don’t drive an awful lot so that is sufficient.
 

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