Most drivers assume the person who just crashed into them made a mistake. Maybe they were distracted, misjudged traffic, or simply had a bad day behind the wheel. California investigators say that wasn’t the case in a series of Southern California crashes that they allege were staged as part of an insurance fraud scheme.
Four Southern California residents have been arraigned on felony insurance fraud charges after authorities accused them of intentionally causing collisions and filing fraudulent injury claims. Investigators say the group didn’t just allegedly crash into each other. In one case, authorities allege an innocent driver with no connection to the scheme became an unwitting victim.
Cases like this are one reason dashcams have become increasingly popular among drivers. While most crashes are legitimate accidents, investigators across the country continue to uncover staged collisions and other fraud schemes where video evidence can quickly separate fact from fiction…