A viral video has been making the rounds on social media recently apparently showing the step by step plan of insurance scammers trying to stage a car accident, all caught on the victims dash cam.
Known as a ‘Swoop-and-Squat’, in this instance the accident took place in Queens, New York, on October 16, while Ashpia Natasha was driving along the Belt Parkway talking to someone on the car speaker phone.
Suddenly, a car pulls in front of Natasha causing her to slam on her brakes before with enough time to avoid rear ending the car in front. The unknown car then rapidly reverses back, smashing into her car, making it look like Natasha has crashed into them, apparently not noticing the font and back cameras attached to her car.
In most cases without sufficient evidence, the driver of the car that hits the one in front is almost always liable for all damages in this type of situation.
@ashpianatasha4 ♬ original sound - Ashpia Natasha
According to Natasha, the insurance adjuster estimated the incident caused $8,300 in damage to her car alone. The footage reveals that she used Viofo A129 Plus dashcam to record the insident.
These types of insurance scams are not new, and people have been seeking out the best front and rear dash cams to record this type of fraud for decades.
However, what is new, and why this video has gone viral, is the sophistication with which these scams are being carried out today.
After the crash, the passengers in the back seat pull out what appears to be a trash bag, or piece of black cloth, putting it over the back window and shielding the inside of their car from Natasha’s view. It then appears that the two drivers in the front trade seats.
It’s likely they did this because the driver is the alleged ringleader of the scam, who then switches places with the passenger so as not to raise suspicion for being repeatedly caught.
A red Kia can be seen in the rear camera footage turning on its hazard lights, even before Natasha is forced to pull stop. What appears to be the same car then pulls ahead of both stationary cars, and whisks the driver away from the scene.
The two passengers then get out of the car, take pictures of Natasha’s car, and cradle their heads and bend at the waist as though hurt.
After they noticed the dashcam, the scammers quickly drove away.
Dash cams are easy to set up, and can be time stamped, making them a great source of evidence for any kind of road incident.
Phil Maltaghati of United Public Adjusters and Appraisers told ABC 7 Eyewitness News:
"Innocent people driving with their families and they've got kids in the backseat, they are not thinking someone is trying to game them or make money off them, but also risking their lives.
"This woman is very lucky to have cameras, that's all I'm going to say.”
The New York Police Department have found one of the cars, but are still looking for the perpetrators.
These insurance scams are on the rise, take a look at our guides to the best dash cams, the best budget dash cams, and the best front and rear dash cams.
