A legitimate car accident is not a desirable event, but a car accident staged by those who are looking to collect unlawful compensation is even more distressing. Staged car accidents are when a group of con artists execute vehicle maneuvers in order to collect fraudulent insurance money on an unsuspecting victim. Insurance fraud is when someone intentionally lies in order to obtain a benefit that is entitled to someone else. Con artists commit insurance fraud in the form of:

• Vehicle collision;
• Healthcare scams;
• Medical;
• Property; and
• Workers' compensation

Those who are convicted of staging car accidents usually are investigated through the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB). The NICB specializes in investigating insurance and vehicle fraud; they report that the top five states in the United States with the highest numbers of staged car accidents from 2007 to 2009 were Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Illinois. Con artists can file claims as high as a million dollars and in certain states, it has been alleged that those involved in the plot have included lawyers, doctors, chiropractors, and even car repair men.

Sometimes, those involved in staged car accidents will file several different medical claims against the intended person's insurance policy. One of the reasons why New York and Florida are such popular spots for staging car accidents is that drivers may also file claims against their own insurance companies. The Research Council's study in 2008 alleged that in 2007 alone, fraudulent insurance claims were a 4.8 to 6.8 billion dollar industry. There are many maneuvers that professional's insurance scam experts will use in order to cause a collision, including, but not limited to, the following:

• T–bone Accidents: This maneuver can be carried out by a skilled con artist when you drive through an intersection. The con artist will then side swipe you and fake witnesses will attest to you running a light or a stop sign.
• The Wave: This type of collision happens in congested traffic. The con artist will wave you in a lane when they see that you desire to switch and then run into you when you enter. They will then tell others that they did not ever initiate a gesture to let you in their lane.
• Swoop and Stoop: This can occur when a vehicle in front of your car suddenly stops and an accomplice pulls up by your vehicle in the next lane rendering you incapable of swerving to miss hitting the car in front of you.
• Left / Right Turn Drive Down: These both involve a con artist waiting nearby, to hit you when you try and make a right or left turn in an intersection. Those who are targeted are usually young hesitant female or elderly drivers pulling out of intersections or shopping entrances.

Here are some tips that have been provided to help prepare those who may be a future victim in an insurance scam:

• Carry a camera and take pictures of the license plate, damage, as well as driver or passengers.
• Take notes at the accident scene.
• Call the authorities, especially if something doesn't seem right.
• Don't give cash as a settlement at the scene of the collision.
• Try and take note of what the driver or passengers look like.

Also, it is important that a driver in a collision obtain key information such as the other drivers' name, address, phone number, license number, registration, and car insurance company. Lastly, to prevent becoming a victim of staged car crashes avoid tail gaiting, call authorities if the damage at a collision scene is negligible, be aware of tow trucks that are nearby, and people at the scene who tell you to go to the doctors. Also, it is important to be aware that certain doctors may be involved in the scam so it is imperative to be weary if your doctor insists that you file a personal injury claim when not injured. So the next time you are in your vehicle be alert and drive cautiously to avoid stage car accidents.