"You've been in an accident" cold call - fraud?
Discussion
Apologies if in the wrong section, curiosity about the situation has gotten the better of me so I have to ask.
A few months ago my brother and I were involved in a non fault accident, the incident was resolved via insurers car written off etc. A few weeks later my brother received a phone call from a company regarding the "accident." Long story short the cold callers basically were asking for us to falsely claim that we sustained neck and back injuries for a sum of money, my brother gave me the phone and I told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine and that was the end of that. I personally have never gone so far with these callers as to know what they ask, I usually hang up as soon as I hear "you've been in an accident- " click.
But despite informing them that we never received injuries, they were pressing and pressing for us to say yes, could this be counted as fraud and should it be reported to the appropriate authorities?
Also they seemed to use some sort of number spoofer, hanging up on them once only resulted in them calling back except the caller ID coming up as London instead of Manchester. where it originated from...and the caller got quite agitated once I called him out on his BS.
A few months ago my brother and I were involved in a non fault accident, the incident was resolved via insurers car written off etc. A few weeks later my brother received a phone call from a company regarding the "accident." Long story short the cold callers basically were asking for us to falsely claim that we sustained neck and back injuries for a sum of money, my brother gave me the phone and I told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine and that was the end of that. I personally have never gone so far with these callers as to know what they ask, I usually hang up as soon as I hear "you've been in an accident- " click.
But despite informing them that we never received injuries, they were pressing and pressing for us to say yes, could this be counted as fraud and should it be reported to the appropriate authorities?
Also they seemed to use some sort of number spoofer, hanging up on them once only resulted in them calling back except the caller ID coming up as London instead of Manchester. where it originated from...and the caller got quite agitated once I called him out on his BS.
75Black said:
Apologies if in the wrong section, curiosity about the situation has gotten the better of me so I have to ask.
A few months ago my brother and I were involved in a non fault accident, the incident was resolved via insurers car written off etc. A few weeks later my brother received a phone call from a company regarding the "accident." Long story short the cold callers basically were asking for us to falsely claim that we sustained neck and back injuries for a sum of money, my brother gave me the phone and I told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine and that was the end of that. I personally have never gone so far with these callers as to know what they ask, I usually hang up as soon as I hear "you've been in an accident- " click.
But despite informing them that we never received injuries, they were pressing and pressing for us to say yes, could this be counted as fraud and should it be reported to the appropriate authorities?
Also they seemed to use some sort of number spoofer, hanging up on them once only resulted in them calling back except the caller ID coming up as London instead of Manchester. where it originated from...and the caller got quite agitated once I called him out on his BS.
It's just what these guys do. I reckon it would only become fraud once/if you went along with it and pursued a claim for non existent injuries or losses. Even then it would be easier to prove fraud against you than against the claims management company- they could just say you deceived them too.A few months ago my brother and I were involved in a non fault accident, the incident was resolved via insurers car written off etc. A few weeks later my brother received a phone call from a company regarding the "accident." Long story short the cold callers basically were asking for us to falsely claim that we sustained neck and back injuries for a sum of money, my brother gave me the phone and I told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine and that was the end of that. I personally have never gone so far with these callers as to know what they ask, I usually hang up as soon as I hear "you've been in an accident- " click.
But despite informing them that we never received injuries, they were pressing and pressing for us to say yes, could this be counted as fraud and should it be reported to the appropriate authorities?
Also they seemed to use some sort of number spoofer, hanging up on them once only resulted in them calling back except the caller ID coming up as London instead of Manchester. where it originated from...and the caller got quite agitated once I called him out on his BS.
You could argue they were inciting fraud (is that an offence?) but I imagine their scripted calls are designed to avoid that.
mac96 said:
It's just what these guys do. I reckon it would only become fraud once/if you went along with it and pursued a claim for non existent injuries or losses. Even then it would be easier to prove fraud against you than against the claims management company- they could just say you deceived them too.
You could argue they were inciting fraud (is that an offence?) but I imagine their scripted calls are designed to avoid that.
I thought that might be the case, skirting on the edge of legal..barely I guess. Still, they're scumbags You could argue they were inciting fraud (is that an offence?) but I imagine their scripted calls are designed to avoid that.
I get very little calls now as;
A: if its a bloke I piss them about or tell then straight to f
k off - never call again - result.
B: woman calls forget the chat invite her round to discuss - suggest nice dress etc etc & heels will provide the wine
unlikely to call again - if they do suggest they bring a large box of Trojan & some lube
A: if its a bloke I piss them about or tell then straight to f
k off - never call again - result.B: woman calls forget the chat invite her round to discuss - suggest nice dress etc etc & heels will provide the wine
unlikely to call again - if they do suggest they bring a large box of Trojan & some lube
I had a similar situation when Mrs BC’s car was damaged in a supermarket car park. Mrs BC was shopping inside the store at the time but luckily the car park attendant witnessed the other driving scraping her car.
No problem with liability or insurance but the claims company wanted her to say she was injured even though she wasn’t even in the car.
No problem with liability or insurance but the claims company wanted her to say she was injured even though she wasn’t even in the car.
How did they find out the details of your accident? Normally these companies don't have any actual records and rely on you giving them details in your phone call. Carefully think back to the call, report them and give the full details for inciting fraud. EDIT: re-read the thread, ask your brother about his call as well.
There playing pot-luck with the phone database who see who bites; few friends who don't drive have been called by these sorts of scammers and been told they were driving the car at the time of the alleged accident, apparently the phone calls ended pretty sharpish when they informed them of the fact they don't drive.
Basic advise to anyone dealing with these cold-callers; don't give them any details ask them for them.
There playing pot-luck with the phone database who see who bites; few friends who don't drive have been called by these sorts of scammers and been told they were driving the car at the time of the alleged accident, apparently the phone calls ended pretty sharpish when they informed them of the fact they don't drive.
Basic advise to anyone dealing with these cold-callers; don't give them any details ask them for them.
revvingit said:
How did they find out the details of your accident? Normally these companies don't have any actual records and rely on you giving them details in your phone call. Carefully think back to the call, report them and give the full details for inciting fraud. EDIT: re-read the thread, ask your brother about his call as well.
I am convinced the insurance company sells your details on.I had an accident and my normal phone was out of juice so when I was by the roadside I gave the insurance company my work mobile number to arrange the recovery. The way I use this phone no one has the number, in the 5 years I've had it I've never given the number out to anyone else and I very rarely use it to call anyone, and when I do the number is blocked. Guess where I suddenly start getting loads of these calls to....
I had a car smashed into when it was parked on the road in 2015. I was in Poland at the time, so not even in the country. I, to this day, still get phonecalls about my injuries and how their medical records show I'm entitled to compensation.
First few times I hung up, then I asked to be removed from their list, then I descended into being rude. None of these worked. So now, I'm utterly atrociously vulgar to the call operator; in the most over the top way. The usual 'companies' have stopped phoning.
First few times I hung up, then I asked to be removed from their list, then I descended into being rude. None of these worked. So now, I'm utterly atrociously vulgar to the call operator; in the most over the top way. The usual 'companies' have stopped phoning.
I just sound confused and take a "what accident?" approach, which actually does seem to work. I guess if they think their info is wrong/there wasn't an accident, there really isn't any avenue at all for them to go down.
Agree that it's probably coming from insurance companies selling data. I had a noticeable ramp up in them after a (windscreen) claim years ago.
I try not to take it out on the call centre people. Yeah, they probably know what they're doing, but it's not the kind of job you choose to take, and they've got to put food on the table same as the rest of us.
Agree that it's probably coming from insurance companies selling data. I had a noticeable ramp up in them after a (windscreen) claim years ago.
I try not to take it out on the call centre people. Yeah, they probably know what they're doing, but it's not the kind of job you choose to take, and they've got to put food on the table same as the rest of us.
mathmos said:
revvingit said:
How did they find out the details of your accident? Normally these companies don't have any actual records and rely on you giving them details in your phone call. Carefully think back to the call, report them and give the full details for inciting fraud. EDIT: re-read the thread, ask your brother about his call as well.
I am convinced the insurance company sells your details on.I had an accident and my normal phone was out of juice so when I was by the roadside I gave the insurance company my work mobile number to arrange the recovery. The way I use this phone no one has the number, in the 5 years I've had it I've never given the number out to anyone else and I very rarely use it to call anyone, and when I do the number is blocked. Guess where I suddenly start getting loads of these calls to....
Most of the time they are automated calls anyway, a pre-recorded set of messages that react to your answer. "What are you wearing?" seems to confuse them easily.
shakotan said:
My work colleague regularly gets the same phone calls, she doesn't even have a licence, it's all just cold-calling and the Law of Averages, they are bound to hit on at least 1 call in 20 where someone has had even the most minor bump in the last 12 months, and to their own mind that would still figure as relevant or recent.
Most of the time they are automated calls anyway, a pre-recorded set of messages that react to your answer. "What are you wearing?" seems to confuse them easily.
That might be true...if they didn't have some of the details of the accident, which they do. So since the insurance company are the only ones with that number, and they know details of the accident, and the mobile phone isn't registered to me so it couldn't be just a random lookup on my name I call BS on it being chance.Most of the time they are automated calls anyway, a pre-recorded set of messages that react to your answer. "What are you wearing?" seems to confuse them easily.
mathmos said:
revvingit said:
How did they find out the details of your accident? Normally these companies don't have any actual records and rely on you giving them details in your phone call. Carefully think back to the call, report them and give the full details for inciting fraud. EDIT: re-read the thread, ask your brother about his call as well.
I am convinced the insurance company sells your details on.I had an accident and my normal phone was out of juice so when I was by the roadside I gave the insurance company my work mobile number to arrange the recovery. The way I use this phone no one has the number, in the 5 years I've had it I've never given the number out to anyone else and I very rarely use it to call anyone, and when I do the number is blocked. Guess where I suddenly start getting loads of these calls to....
I had a non-fault on the motorway.
My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunders.
Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - fking scumbags.
In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunder
s.Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - f
king scumbags.In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
Mr Gearchange said:
I had a non-fault on the motorway.
My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunders.
Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - fking scumbags.
In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
Why didn't you just hang up?My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunder
s.Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - f
king scumbags.In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
The Mad Monk said:
Mr Gearchange said:
I had a non-fault on the motorway.
My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunders.
Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - fking scumbags.
In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
Why didn't you just hang up?My biggest mistake was, on calling the RAC to do the recovery I pressed the button to say I had been in an accident.
That evidentlyallowed all my details to be passed to a whole ecosystem of ambulance chasing thunder
s.Over the next two years I had dozens of phone calls all describing what the OP suffered - "claim for a neck injury, the accident wasn't your fault, their insurer has money set aside for this, its yours" etc etc etc
I used to get enormously riled by these parasites and told a number of them that they were asking me to commit insurance fraud - f
king scumbags.In the end I just used to tell them that "yes I had been injured" and asked them how much I could get for my head coming off, my knees being reversed or a fractured buttock.
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff