In my post about illegal immigration, a commenter pointed out that I was lucky to avoid greater financial consequences from my car accident. It turns out that the maneuver where a car accelerates from a stop and then suddenly slams on the brakes is a common insurance scam. This tactic is known as the “sudden stop” or “brake check” scheme.
I started researching more about this type of fraud because it had crossed my mind during the accident. Out of nowhere, after accelerating hard, the car in front of me slammed on the brakes for no apparent reason—she had the right of way at the intersection. Thankfully, I was stationary at a stop sign, barely reaching 3 mph toward the front, before slamming on my brakes and bumping into her car.
Could Have Been A Setup
Later that evening, a reader from San Francisco reached out, sharing a similar experience from just the other month. What's remarkable is that their accident happened at the exact same intersection as mine: the three-way junction of Sloat Blvd, Skyline Blvd, and Lake Merced Blvd.
And when they pulled over at the same spot on Skyline Blvd, just before Zoo Road, the other driver was also a woman who didn’t speak English and could not produce car insurance or an ID. Conveniently, there just so happened to be a man on the side of the barren road who could translate for her. What are the chances?
That made me replay the details of my own encounter. It happened at 2:57 pm on a Thursday, and the only other thing I remembered was seeing people in a car coming the other way from Lake Merced Blvd who were watching and laughing, as if they knew it was a setup. How strange, I remember thinking, for an accident so out of the blue and minor.
Were my daughter and I the victims of a staged vehicle collision? I’m not sure since no money was extracted from me or my insurance company. Maybe when they pulled over, they expected to see damage to her old car. But due to my reflexes, there wasn't any, so they just decided to let things go.
Unfortunately for the reader, there was damage to the front person's beater car. So they are in the process of dealing with their insurance company now.
If you are a frequent driver, beware that you could be getting set up for car insurance fraud. If you don’t think car insurance fraud affects you, think again. Billions of dollars are lost to fraud each year, driving up premiums for everyone.
I had to do more research!
Case Study on Car Insurance Fraud
Below is the first thing I found about car insurance fraud from California's Department of Insurance. Los Angeles accounts for nearly 43 percent of all auto-related insurance fraud in California.
On February 24, 2021, Zandra Monterrozo, 44, of Corona, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her involvement in an organized ring that staged vehicle collisions to collect over $135,000 in fraudulent insurance payouts. Eleven other suspects, which included body shop owners, were also charged or prosecuted.
List of 11 additional suspects:
- Bethuel Guevara Aguirre, 39
- Monica Elizabeth Sosa Alonzo, 39
- Baudilio Enrique Noguera, 49
- Juan Venancio Juarez Miranda, 49
- Carlos Enrique Lopez, 56
- Emma Amparo Lemus Martinez, 59
- Osmar Fernando Lopez, 40
- Alfonso Leon Baltazar, 51
- Mario Renee Alonzo, 67
- Marcos Farias, 70
- Walter Chacon, 31
Monterrozo was sentenced to one felony count of insurance fraud, ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution, and served one year of probation. I'm not sure what happened to her other potential accomplices.
The scam involves one car intentionally braking quickly without reason, giving the driver behind little time to react, causing a rear-end collision. The investigation revealed the ring was responsible for eight staged collisions involving innocent victims, and two collusive ones, resulting in $137,832 in losses for victims and various insurers.
How the Brake Check Scam Works
More specifically, here’s how scammers profit from the brake check scheme, often with the help of a mechanic or clinic.
After forcing a collision, the scammer claims minor damage, like $1,000. They then enlist a shady mechanic who “finds” an additional $8,000 worth of damage. The mechanic bills the insurance company $9,000, and they split the extra $8,000 that was never spent on repairs.
In addition to damages, scammers may claim medical issues like whiplash or back pain to inflate their payout. With multiple passengers, each person can file separate claims for “injuries,” potentially earning even more. Ideally for the criminals, a fraudulent clinic is involved, so the scammers can split the insurance payments from fake medical treatments as well.
Another way to extract money from the victim is through intimidation. After the accident, the scammers may demand cash or valuables, with the translator or witness suddenly becoming a threatening figure. If there’s little damage to the scammer's car and they believe the insurance company won’t pay out, the brake check incident can escalate into a mugging or the perpetrators might just drop the situation.
Scammers may also recruit newly arrived undocumented immigrants who are more desperate for cash. They might serve as passengers, witnesses, or even drivers with fake IDs. After the collision, the experienced scammers step in to handle the claim. However, relying on inexperienced individuals can backfire, as poor maneuvering or fear of confrontation could cause the setup to fail.
Red Flags of a Staged Collision
If you suspect you're a victim of a staged collision, look out for these signs:
- The other car is full of passengers to increase the potential amount of financial payout.
- The driver has a new insurance policy or no insurance policy.
- Their vehicle is in poor condition or has a salvage title.
- Traffic was flowing smoothly, but they stopped suddenly.
- The driver and passengers all claim injury despite minimal damage.
- There are random witnesses who all happen to be of the same background of the other driver.
Pre-mortem planning is crucial for staying calm and focused during a shocking event. If you haven't already, create a checklist of steps to follow in case of a car accident, e.g. call 911, call/text a loved one, find a tourniquet, find a license, insurance, and registration, etc. Since accidents are rare, your mind might freeze in the moment, unsure of how to proceed. But in a serious accident, every second counts.
Video of Brake Checking and Other Reckless Driving Behavior in Action
One common criticism I received from readers is that the accident was entirely my fault since I rear-ended the car. I acknowledged that it could have been, even with the sudden braking, and I had no problem exchanging ID and insurance information. Accidents happen and that's what insurance is for.
Some readers said I was out of line for asking for the other driver's ID and insurance. I thought it was standard protocol, since that’s what you do when dealing with the police during any traffic incident. I prefer knowing who I’m dealing with after an accident. By corroborating the name on the insurance card and ID, I reduce my chances of being scammed. But in this case, the driver was unable to show either.
Others blamed me for tailgating. When I’m at a stop sign or red light, I typically leave about three or four feet of space—enough for someone to comfortably walk between the cars. If a car suddenly accelerates and slams on the brakes, even from a standstill, it's hard to react quickly enough. I've learned my lesson. Now I will leave even more space just in case, regardless if drivers behind me think I'm being unreasonable.
This type of guilty-until-proven-innocent reaction is one of the reasons car insurance fraud through brake checking is such an effective scam. If the driver in the rear is always blamed, no matter the circumstances, scammers are incentivized to use the brake check scheme to cash in.
Various Car Collision Insurance Scams
For those who insist the front driver is never at fault, check out this video that shows numerous examples proving otherwise. Before jumping to conclusions, remember there are always two sides to every situation.
Here's another example of a brake check scam. Given the car behind didn't bump into the car ahead, the car ahead decided to reverse into the car behind! The scamming driver is always driving a cheap car. They also try to have more people inside the car to claim more injuries.
Here's another video posted on Reddit where the brake check scheme actually worked. Notice how the car is also a beater with four people getting out holding their necks. Keep your distance folks and beware! If you can get a dashcam, you will protect yourself as well.
Defrauding Auto Insurance Companies Is Not Worth It
I'm all for side hustles to make extra money, but auto insurance fraud doesn't seem like a good return on effort. Take the case of Zandra Monterrozo. She collected $137,832 in fraudulent claims, but it took eight staged collisions with innocent victims and two collusive crashes to get there. Staging 10 collisions is a lot of work!
Not only is it time-consuming, but there’s also the risk that the insurance company might not pay out. If they don’t cover at least the vehicle's damage, you could end up losing money. And it's unlikely that fraudulent claims have a 100% success rate, especially when insurance companies are experienced at spotting these scams.
Another downside of insurance fraud is having to share the profits. Monterrozo had to split the $137,832 with 11 other people. That brings the average payout per person to just $11,488. Even if some took more and others less, it’s hard to imagine the ring leader walking away with more than a third of the total amount.
Another downside is getting into an accident with the wrong victim. What if the person doesn't stay calm like I did and instead pulls out a knife or gun to retaliate? The victim could easily get pissed off because they will think the accident was your fault. That’s a risk that doesn’t seem worth taking.
Lastly, there’s the risk of getting caught. Monterrozo received a relatively light sentence—$6,000 in restitution and one year of probation. With such lenient consequences, it's easy to see why some scammers might be tempted to try again.
Let's Have Compassion For Both Parties In An Accident
While it's tempting for fraudsters to exploit the system, it's not a sustainable or risk-free way to make money. For the average person, taking part in an organized scheme like this isn’t worth the legal and financial consequences.
I understand that desperate times can lead to desperate measures. Empathy for perpetrators is a key principle for restorative justice advocates. If you are poor without many financial options, the temptation to partake in a car insurance scam for a quick $500 is understandable. I get it. Everybody deserves to pursue a better life for their family.
However, if we’re going to take a softer approach to crime, we must also ensure victims are compensated for the damage and suffering they endure too. Let’s not treat criminals better than law-abiding citizens.
Nobody wants to get into an accident, yet more than 6 million occur every year in the U.S. If you're unlucky enough to be involved in one, hopefully, you'll have friends and loved ones who support you rather than vilify you.
Loading ...Recommendation For Drivers To Protect Themselves Against Car Insurance Fraud
Now that you’re aware of the brake check scheme and other staged collisions used to scam insurance companies, here are some steps to protect yourself:
- Install a front and rear-facing camera that continuously records while you drive. This provides crucial video evidence in case you’re involved in a staged collision. One recommendation my close friend uses is the Pulse P12 Pro 4K Mirror Dash Cam. It costs about $200-$300 to install. I just got mine.
- Drive a modest but safe car. Stagers often target high-value vehicles like commercial trucks, luxury cars, or government-owned vehicles, as these are almost guaranteed to have insurance coverage. Car insurance fraud is another reason why practicing Stealth Wealth is important.
- Always insist on a police report at the scene of the accident, and ask the officer to positively identify all parties involved.
- Thoroughly document the accident. Use your cell phone to take photos or videos of the collision, including any damage to the vehicles. Check for ID and insurance.
- Report the suspicious collision to your state’s Department of Insurance. They may have valuable information and resources to assist you.
- Consider getting tinted windows. Depending on where you live, you are legally allowed to tint your windows up to a certain limit. Consider going to that limit. The darker your tint, the harder it is for others to see. This creates more risk for fraudsters to pick on you.
- Get the right insurance policies. In addition to reviewing your auto insurance policy, it’s worth considering an umbrella policy for added liability protection. Ask for your insurance company's recommendations on the appropriate coverage amounts for each type of insurance.
Nobody Really Cares, So You Must Stay Vigilant
Whether my accident was truly an accident or a setup, I will probably never know. What I do know is that it's on me to pay $3,500 to replace my bumper if I choose to. I bumped into the car ahead, and the responsibility is mine, no one else's. I've learned to leave a larger gap between myself and the car in front when stationary, and I’ll be driving more cautiously moving forward.
Even if you're the victim of fraud, people will still find a way to blame you, often showing little sympathy for your situation. And if you admit the accident was entirely your fault, people will jump at the chance to tear you apart and exploit the situation financially. This became clear to me after reading comments on my previous post and talking to friends.
It’s a tough world out there, folks. Nobody really cares about your problems—maybe your parents do, but even then, some people don't have that fundamental love. How sad. Protect yourself and stay safe!
Reader Questions
Have you ever been a victim of car insurance fraud or any other type of insurance fraud? If so, how did it happen, and how much did the perpetrators get away with? If you work in the auto insurance industry, I’d love to hear your insights on car insurance fraud. What’s the denial rate, and how often do insurance companies detect fraudulent claims?
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Wow, what an eye-opening post! It’s concerning to see how prevalent car insurance fraud is and how sophisticated some of these schemes have become. Thanks for shedding light on this topic and sharing your experience—it’s a reminder for all of us to stay vigilant on the road.
I think your advice about installing a dashcam is particularly crucial. Having video evidence can make all the difference in proving what actually happened during an incident. It’s also surprising how common these schemes seem to be, especially in certain areas or intersections. Your story, combined with the data you found from the California Department of Insurance, really highlights how organized these fraud rings can be.
The advice to leave a larger gap between cars, even when stationary, is also a good takeaway. It’s something I hadn’t considered before but definitely makes sense after reading about the sudden stop scams. These small adjustments can go a long way in protecting ourselves.
I’ve never been directly involved in a situation like this, but your post has made me think more carefully about how I approach accidents or any potential issues on the road. It’s also sobering to see the financial and emotional toll these scams can take on victims, even beyond just the immediate damage.
For anyone else reading, I think the key takeaways are to always document everything after an accident, insist on ID and insurance verification, and report anything suspicious. Hopefully, by raising awareness of these schemes, we can reduce their effectiveness and protect ourselves better. Stay safe out there, everyone!
it it’s uncanny how the viral video of the brake check scam in New York is exactly your experience from weeks earlier.
Old car. Lots of people coming out of the car to feign injury. Switching seats of the driver. Same demographic.
I wonder if they are illegal immigrants as well, who outstayed their welcome and never left.
Illegal immigrants who commit crimes have got to get deported. Please people, this common sense.
Once again, you are timely and prescient about warning us about brake check scams and car insurance fraud.
There is a viral video of what you experienced caught on a dash cam. But in this case, the scammers failed to get the rear car to bump into them, so they stopped and reversed into the rear car instead! And then comically, they look perplexed and hold their necks as they get out of the car.
And now, the beater car they used has been abandoned, but the internet sleuths found it. And coincidentally or not, the scammers also look Hispanic. They probably are documented immigrants because they exchanged IDs. But who knows.
Car collision scams occur way more than people realize! Get a dashcam folks, and keep your distance!
https://nypost.com/2024/10/23/us-news/viral-staged-accident-in-nyc-probed-by-nypd-as-experts-warn-fraud-crash-cases-are-on-the-rise/
25 million illegal immigrants is a problem, as it supplants jobs for Americans. So if you’re empathizing with illegals, you’re essentially saying breaking the law is OK. That’s all fine and dandy until an illegal immigrant tries to cause YOU harm.
I live in THE most dangerous city in America. A few things I’ve learned here- The most vulnerable conditions are associated with your vehicle. Getting in and out especially. I’ve had one attempted attack by a robber with a long knife in one hand and a box cutter in the other while getting out of my vehicle.
Thanks to self defense classes I was able to get him on the ground until the police arrived without being harmed. This wasn’t accomplished with strength or fighting. It was resolved safely as a result of taking numerous self defense classes and out thinking the criminal. I had to think outside the box. By doing so I decided to impersonate a cop and place the guy under fake arrest. Hey, it was all I could think of at the moment and it worked:)
Driving- # 1. Do not follow close to vehicles. Leave enough distance to make an easy and speedy getaway. Do not stop close to the vehicle in front for the same reason. Try not to even stop if you don’t have to. Time the lights when driving through bad areas so that you don’t have to stop. It’s hard to get carjacked while rolling!
Stay off the phone and keep the radio off when driving in bad areas. This allows for full attention to your surroundings.
Keep your phone in your pocket while driving, which is one lesson I learned the hard way. I wasn’t able to call for help after getting my attacker on the ground because the phone was left in the car. If it comes down to using a handgun while being carjacked don’t open the door or window.
Stay one step ahead by being prepared to fire right through the window if necessary. They are not expecting this to happen. Surprise is a great tactic! Have your windows tinted as much as legal. This allows you a better chance of accessing your weapon without being seen. Surprise is key.
Always keep your seatbelt fastened. This makes it harder for someone to pull you from the vehicle.
I 100% agree. Our incompetent president letting millions of illegal immigrants pouring through the border is exactly what has caused crime to skyrocket in NYC. Now they are being put up in 4 star hotels and given prepaid Visa cards while the tax payers of NYC are footing the bill. Cash Jordan’s you tube channel chronicling all of this is mind blowing. It is also mind blowing that people are STILL voting for democrats despite all of this.
NC still waiting for help after Cane. Yes jb & kh imported a crime wave.
I drive by that intersection all the time. Since the past week, I’ve been extra careful and kept more space between my car and the car in front of mine. I was wondering if these scammers would target cars without cameras all around the car? For examples, Tesla has good camera system around the car and is always recording. Hmm…
This happened to might brother as well except a fake cop was involved and suggested she make a settlement to the car that was hit in which he paid $100.
I am going to send him and others this article. I think your article will help many people who are confused as to what is going on and at least be aware that this tactic is going around.
Be careful out there folks! The scammers try to cause confusion, and instill fear in you to just pony up whatever cash you have in your wallet. That is likely what happened here.
Wow, that’s nuts! Uniform and all?
The thing I’m beginning to realize is that losing money from a stage car collision scam is becoming the LEAST of a victim’s worries. It’s like getting stuck up with a gun as a cash register. Best not to resit and have them take all the money in the register and in your wallet. These things are replaceable, but your life, and the life of a loved one is not.
I am disappointed that you didn’t try to call the cops when it was your fault. Were you trying to save on insurance? Then I don’t have sympathy for you.
No sympathy needed. But thank you. My goal is to help others act if they find themselves in a similar situation.
I couldn’t even get the driver to trade insurance information. Not sure why she wouldn’t want to trade insurance info and IDs. Any ideas?
By the time I got on the phone, she and the translator would be gone.
If you have a child in your car, please be vigilant. You don’t want to escalate violence, mugging, or kidnapping.
You’ve got to pay attention.
If you suspect you’re in a brake check scam and have a young child in the car, your goal should be to get out of harm’s way ASAP. Go back to your car, lock the doors, and call the cops. But also stay vigilant if more people from the crew arrive. Think on your feet to protect yourself and your family.
Offering to trade contact info and insurance is taking responsibility for an accident. If the other driver refuses, beware. Something is wrong given you are legally required to carry both when driving.
Sam if you were in the UK the law prevails – It’s illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or in a public place without at least 3rd party insurance. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it you could get penalised.
So that non-English speaking female clearly should have been penalised immediately.
and
What’s the punishment for no insurance?
What are the penalties for driving without insurance? You could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points if you are caught driving a vehicle that you are not insured to drive. If the case goes to court you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. – London Police
Someone driving a car with no insurance is an immediate Red Flag. I would have called the police immediately in that case.
And having no ID is a double red flag.
Regarding your cracked bumper. If you google your make of car for the online car maker original parts number, you should be able to order the piece yourself, either from the original maker, or an intermediary original parts distributor. (I did this for my Korean made car – I ordered the original part for pennies, from Korea). And then be able to change it over yourself. I am sure there will be a forum/fb club for your auto make, and there will be admin there who can advise you how to do that – or point you in the direction of help.
There is no excuse for any person to do bad things to any other living being. No matter how desperate or brain dead they are.
We’re pretty relaxed here in America. You can basically do a lot of illegal things and get away with it. You can check out some of the harsh comments I received in this post when I said I thought I bumped into an undocumented immigrant.
Basically, some people said I was rude and unjust to ask to exchange ID and insurance. It is legally required to drive with insurance in California. But I can’t squeeze water from a stone in this situation if she had no money, and also I had a sense that I might’ve been getting set up. So I didn’t want to linger any longer than I had to.
One solution to car insurance scams and uninsured motorist issues: a driver not carrying auto insurance should not be able to collect from a driver who does carry it. Pretty simple and fair.
I remember a post a couple years ago about the benefits of owning a Range Rover – almost convinced me!
Maybe it was an intentional scam you experienced. But for me one of the downsides of owning a high-end vehicle is that there are many people out there who will see getting in an accident with such a car as hitting a pile of money. So while those people would not start their day trying to get into a car accident, if it does happen to them they will try their hardest to extract as much money as possible – because they know it is there.
Anyway glad you are okay and also great content as always!
Spencer
You’re exactly right. If you have a commercial vehicle or higher-end car, you become a greater target of scammers because of the almost guarantee of all such vehicles/drivers having insurance.
The risk scammers have is if the driver that comes out of the car is extremely angry and intimidating with a weapon. One of the counter strategies is to drive a car with tinted windows which creates more risk for the scammers.
I had a collision 30 years ago that was definitely a setup with a comparable , but larger cast of characters.
I was on assignment, and my coworker pleaded with me to let him drive my car, a 1982 AMC Jeep Grand Cherokee. This went on for weeks, if not months. I finally relented. He took the wheel near downtown L.A., and I told him to stay off the freeway, and that we’d go home using the streets.
No such luck, he immediately went on the downtown interchange, and was driving behind a box truck with Chinese signage on it. There was a gap of roughly 5 or 4 car lengths between us in the far right lane. There was reasonably heavy traffic in the twilight hours, otherwise. A 1975 Chevy Monte Carlo then furiously swooped in the lane, and rear ended the box truck and the Chevy stopped. My driver, who was also a pot head, panicked. I calmly , and forcefully said move into the emergency lane now, but he froze instead. Thus we in turn rear ended the Chevy.
Pulling off to the side, the four other occupants spoke no English, all were Spanish speakers, and all had temporary identification – they were all recent emigres from Mexico. The driver was in his twenties, and the others were old men, mostly in their 60s. The arriving CHP officers knew exactly what was going on, and my pothead buddy was worried about his pot.
A few days later the scam machinery came into play on the part of the Chevy occupants. My pot head had no insurance, and my insurance had lapsed(an oversight of a few days I had other pressing issues at the time) but was about to be renewed. The owner of the Chevy was not present, he probably organized the scheme, and what happened was his Chevy was fully insured, including an uninsured motorist policy, and I received notice of all the machinations of being held liable and a few threats, but in the end apart from losing my vehicle, and getting a little shaken up nothing happened. Don’
Conclusion: don’t let questionable people take control of any portion of your precious life, and as my WW!! veteran father(and uncles) would say, keep your head on a swivel.
Thank you for all the tips. And of course you should get the other person’s license and insurance. That is standard procedure. Also take lots of photos from all angles and do a complete 360 of The other car. I also took lots of photos of the other driver bending over and otherwise contorting their back in case they tried to claim back injury. Many months later, The driver tried to claim additional damage to their car. I provided the photos showing no damage to my insurance company. Case closed lol.
This is what a sanctuary city does for you. Before California and SF devolved into what they are today, local and state police worked with ICE/HSI and Border Patrol. The federal government entities would conduct jail checks to identify criminal aliens. The Feds would put a hold in a criminal alien’s file and when the criminal alien’s sentence was over the local authorities would contact the Feds and turn the criminal alien over to the feds for deportation. Additionally, local authorities would call the feds when possible criminal aliens were in their jail for the feds to interview the criminals to determine if they were an alien and then determine if they were amenable for deportation. This all ended with sanctuary status. Now there is zero cooperation between Feds and state and local jails so when criminal aliens serve their state time, they are released into the communities to reoffend.
The United States has enough crime from US citizens, we certainly don’t need crime committed by people who are illegally in the US. Those who profess support of sanctuary status may get a good dopamine high from their fake virtue, but the reality is sanctuary status harms all who live in this great country legally. But you do you California.
Thanks, how long have you lived or did live in California and where do you live now?
My wife’s family lives in Walnut Creek. I visit often. We live in Michigan now. I’m a retired Border Patrol Agent. I lived and worked in 9 different places/States including Washington DC twice in management positions. Several of these locations were sanctuary cities, i.e. Tucson AZ. I know well from work experience the impact sanctuary status has on crime and communities.
Fascinating. What do you think the public doesn’t realize about Border Patrol agents? Is it just impossible to stop illegal immigration and criminals due to lack of man power?
I’m am not an advocate of more agents. I am an advocate for Border walls. When I worked in Nogales, AZ we’d get congressional visits all the time, mainly because Nogales is such a large and important crossing point. The congressional details would always ask if walls were effective and I’d respond, let me see you get over the wall. That usually answered their question. Probably the biggest bang for your buck.
Actually enforcing the law works too. Most aliens apprehended crossing between Ports of Entry are amenable to a consequence called Expedited Removal (235 Process). This allows them to be removed without access to immigration courts. This also imposes a 5-year ban on the person being eligible to immigration status. Any illegal entry increases the ban on how long an arrestee must wait for any type of immigration.
Allowing anyone who crosses between ports of entry, i.e. illegally, to request asylum is, to me, ridiculous. This will reduce, somewhat, cartel control and bring better organization to the process on our side of the border.
When an illegal border crosser requests asylum they are issued a Notice to Appear (240 process), and sent on their way. They will eventually meet with asylum officers who determine validity of asylum claims and then on to an immigration judge. These backlogs for Immigration judge hearing are massive and many don’t show up. Asylum adjudication is very political and varies depending on who is in the executive office.
Also, robust interior enforcement of criminal aliens is vital to maintaining control of at the border.
They’re not sending their best.
Staged traffic accident scammers are villains in H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton, published in the early 1980s.
OMGosh I am staying away from Lake Merced. London Breed, are you reading this???
Just be careful and aware, that’s all. London is probably too busy dealing with another corruption scandal under her watch.
what’s amazing is that if there were so many corrupt and legal violations under a public company CEO’s watch, the CEO would be fired already. But London wants to run for reelection. Amazing.
https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/12/san-francisco-dream-keeper-initiative-sheryl-davis-james-spingola-nonprofit/
People who have never been defrauded might think you are being over the top. But for those who have been defrauded, including myself, this is a real unnerving experience because it is a violation of normality. you’re doing a good service by informing other readers and drivers about this potential scheme and others. Being aware and planning for something like this to happen does help if it does happen.
And the perpetrators of these frauds and schemes are almost always in the lower income tiers. People need to recognize this truth and protect themselves.
To not blame the perpetrators, saying it is racist, bigoted, sexist, classist, or whatever if you do, forgets about the VICTIMS. People have got to start thinking more rationally.
This scam isn’t new, and has been around for a while, I recall shortly after learning to drive (which is decades ago) being warned of this sort of scam. Perhaps it was a variation back then, there would be 2 cars, one in front and one in the back. The car in the back would try to “squeeze” or “pressure” you by tailgating you or honking you to move closer to the car in front. Then the car infront does a brake check forcing you to rear end them. Usually this is on city streets where the speed limit is not high, but also not that low, say around 35-45 mph. The “victims” in the car in front would claim all sorts of physical and emotional trauma, and the car in the back “disappears” or pulls over and serves as the witness, at the same time applying pressure as well for you to admit fault.
It’s not new, but I think it’s good to bring awareness about the situation so other people can prepare if it happens to them. It may have happened to me, which is why I think it’s my obligation to share and inform.
The variation is different with your story and mine. Mine was at a complete stop. And there was nobody in front of her.
No problems with sharing, I was just sharing my experience and it is a different variation.
It certainly seems like you were caught in the middle of a staged collision scam. It can’t be a coincidence with all those variables. so you are fortunate to not have gotten mugged or lost anything.
The other common scam is the: “Hey! You Hit My Car!” Scam
The “Hey! You Hit My Car” scam often takes place in a parking lot. This is how it can play out – Scammers wait till you come out of a store, and then approach you, saying you hit their car when you parked next to them, or sideswiped their car when you drove into the parking lot. The scammer may show you “scratch marks” on your car that somehow match “scratch marks” on their vehicle as proof of the accident. Next, the scammer might suggest that you settle the situation without contacting insurance companies or the police, i.e., they’ll take several hundred dollars cash from you, so your insurance rates won’t go up, etc.
It’s a strategy designed to make you doubt yourself and to instill fear and confusion, so you’ll act quickly and not think clearly about what’s really going on. It’s a con job. Don’t fall for it! Call the police instead.
Bingo! A random woman approached my wife when we parked at the mall to get some chipotle. And she said we hit her car. My wife was alert and irate because she then start taking a picture of our car and our kids. And then I got out to confront her and ask her what the hell she was talking about.
Ugh, so many low scammers!
To add to your post, i would say get a 4 channels camera of front, back, and SIDES if your car does not have built in cameras.
We were rear-ended and that pushed us into the car in front of us. The driver thatstarted the chain collision couldnt be found and the people in-front of us LIED and said we hit them 2x. Once the first time, then again when we were pushed forward by the ran away driver.
Thankfully we have a tesla that records the whole thing to show we were pushed into them ONCE only. It also reveals we were pushed forward and hit them at speed of 5mph. Their bumper wasnt even scratched. Yet they all claim injuries. Total b.s.
but what if we didn’t have a tesla. What if it was some struggling grad student in an older toyota? How much would these fraudsters put the poor guy thru hell?
No matter how desperate you are, get an education or additional training to get a better job. Don’t defraud other people on the road, most just coming home from work or just driving their kids to school. It is slimey and i wish the laws would punish them harder.
The incident makes SO much sense now. Oh man I despise scammers. I feel for the reader who is having to deal with insurance stress now.
There are scammers everywhere. We all need to be vigilant.
Also beware of parking lot scams!! In any parking lot really, but for those in SF, watch out for Sloat Blvd’s Lucky parking lot (Lakeshore). I drove in one day and parked at Chipotle. When I got out of the car, this random woman appeared and accused me of hitting her car in the parking lot. Then she started taking pictures of my car. I sternly said “No, I didn’t. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I drove in from the other way. You’re making that up.” She kept trying to convince me I hit her car, taking more pictures of me and my car to try and intimidate me, but I stood my ground.
Her energy seemed nervous and off-like she hadn’t practiced scamming someone before. I’m grateful my alarm bells were ringing that she was trying to scam me. I wasn’t going to let her take advantage of me for something that was clearly untrue. She wandered off shortly thereafter.
Be vigilant and protect yourself.
This is eye opening. I am in Maryland and a neighbor had a very similar experience recently with no injuries but significant auto damage.
The world has become such an exciting place.