Don’t Be the Next Victim: Uncover the Perilous Car Scam Costing Drivers Thousands, as Revealed by a Car Expert

Leading mechanic Scotty Kilmer has raised concerns about a “dangerous” crash-for-cash car scam that could potentially cost drivers thousands of dollars. Scammers purposefully drive into innocent road users to take advantage of their car insurance policies, causing them to lose their no-claims bonus and leading to higher monthly premiums.

This scam is quite common in the UK, with more than 2,000 tourists falling victim to it over the past couple of years.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mr Kilmer described it as an insidious car scam known as the “drive down” scam. The scammers usually have the right of way but wave the unsuspecting driver on just to intentionally collide with them.

Mr Kilmer highlighted the danger of this scam: “That guy has the right of way and you hit him, it’s your fault. ‘But officer he waved me on’, well he may be waving you on to take some money off your insurance company.”

The scammers often have connections with body shops, allowing them to get their cars fixed cheaply and make a profit from the insurance claim. Some scammers even fake soft tissue injuries to sue insurance companies for additional compensation, knowing that insurers prefer to settle rather than go to court.

Mr Kilmer shared a personal experience where his wife fell victim to this scam while driving in Houston, Texas. A woman attempting a U-turn collided with their vehicle and subsequently claimed thousands of dollars from their insurance policy by alleging soft tissue damage.

According to Mr Kilmer, soft tissue damage claims are difficult to prove: “It’s soft tissue damage BS. You cannot prove it. ‘Does that hurt, oh man that really hurts’.

“So the next time someone tries to wave you around them, maybe just wave back at them and say ‘no you go, you go’. They might be one of these scammers, they’re out there, don’t think they aren’t out there.”