CCTV is becoming a greater requirement of commercial vehicles following a rise in 'crash for cash' fraud cases. A recent crash for cash investigation saw two defendants, part of a larger operation, forced to re-pay £243,119, with the annual cost to the motor industry being between £0.37m- £1m a day, according to the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB). Fleet operators are now being encouraged to introduce CCTV to allow recording of incidents as evidence against fraudulent claims. Glen Mullins, managing director of Manchester-based VUE CCTV, said: "Induced crash for cash accidents are happening on a daily basis and cost the insurance and commercial fleet sectors a huge amount of money. "Insurers are increasingly looking to technology to challenge this escalating problem and many insurers now insist on CCTV in the fleets they insure. "This has led to unprecedented levels of demand for in-vehicle CCTV, particularly from large commercial fleet owners who are often seen as easy targets for fraud. "New technology which records the events leading up to an accident and, crucially, the aftermath of a collision even with the engine switched off can be used as court-admissible evidence. 'The CCTV systems can not only prove the cause of an accident but also record the speed at impact and how many people were involved." Crash for cash scammers often lean on the assumption that vehicles running into the back of others are generally at fault for the collision; crashes are therefore deliberately caused by excessive braking: "When it is one person's word against another's it is very difficult to prove innocence, even with witness statements,î added Mullins. "Front and rear facing CCTV recording cameras allow insurance companies to challenge fraudulent claims and offer protection for drivers who could otherwise be blamed for non-fault accidents. "Insurance premiums can only go up as a result of fraudulent claims so any technology that helps in the fight against fraud is good for the commercial fleet sector." The Insurance Fraud Bureau was set up in 2006 to clamp down on organised insurance fraud, to disrupt criminal gangs and protect consumers from fraudulent and illegal behaviour. The IFB suggests that at any one time, 30 to 40 criminal gangs are under their investigation. Since 2006, the IFB has dismantled fraud rings across the UK; their in-depth dossier gives readers expert advice on how to clamp down on insurance fraud: 'But in 'Crash for Cash', insurance fraud poses even starker risks to society. Innocent motorists are being targeted on roads by fraudsters motivated by greed. By deliberately causing accidents, fraudsters are gambling with the lives of innocent people,î says Chariman David Neave.
