# "Flash for Cash" Warning issued..



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

http://www.insuranceage.co.uk/insurance-age/news/2289332/flashforcrash-warning-for-motorists


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

To be honest, I'm surprised that this scam wasn't around sooner!
I always thought this scam coming about for many years, as the scam driver can easily deny flashing or they blame the innocent t driver mis-interpretated the flashing.


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## WEIR_SJ (Mar 10, 2006)

This is not a new thing... This scam has been around for as long as 20 years that I can remember!! Amazes me how ignorant or desperate the media are for a "NEW" story...


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## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

kh904 said:


> To be honest, I'm surprised that this scam wasn't around sooner!
> I always thought this scam coming about for many years, as the scam driver can easily deny flashing or they blame the innocent t driver mis-interpretated the flashing.


This is it many people flash there lights to give way but the high way code is different 
The Highway Code states: 'Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.'

The Highway Code is basically suggesting that a driver may flash their headlights to warn other drivers of their presence if in a hazardous position, or to warn another person that may not have noticed you.


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## Rebel007 (May 7, 2013)

yet another reason for investing in a windscreen mounted camera. 

I only bought one recently but the cost was negligable and it records onto a standard SD card has time and date stamped on the recording and protects any video where a major impact has happened, for well under £50 it gives peace of mind in a LOT of situations especially when an accident has occured.

It comes on with the ignition and its fit and forget, worth every penny imho.


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## Wingnuts (Sep 3, 2012)

I ****ing hate **** like this its the type of scam that my mum and girlfriend would fall victim to

As you can possibly tell its made me a bit angry


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

As a general rule i try not to let people out of junctions etc as a lot of the time it can create a bigger hazard!!


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Rebel007 said:


> yet another reason for investing in a windscreen mounted camera.
> 
> I only bought one recently but the cost was negligable and it records onto a standard SD card has time and date stamped on the recording and protects any video where a major impact has happened, for well under £50 it gives peace of mind in a LOT of situations especially when an accident has occured.
> 
> It comes on with the ignition and its fit and forget, worth every penny imho.


Does it take side shots? As anyone flashing you to then crash into you is going to hit you side on. Day is coming closer where we will all be better off with all round cameras in cars. Insurance costs should plummet then as these scams will be minimised in one fell swoop:thumb:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

WEIR_SJ said:


> This is not a new thing... This scam has been around for as long as 20 years that I can remember!! Amazes me how ignorant or desperate the media are for a "NEW" story...


I don't think it is so much a case of it being a new thing, you are right, this type of thing has been around for years.

However, since the clampdown on staged rear end shunts, it is a case that organised crime rings have started to adopt the headlight flashing as a means of committing insurance fraud and has become a "worrying trend".

The scam itself isn't new, but the fact that it has now been adopted by criminal gangs is new and worthy of a news story, if only to make the public more aware of a potential situation when being flashed at by another car. :thumb:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Darlofan said:


> Does it take side shots? As anyone flashing you to then crash into you is going to hit you side on. Day is coming closer where we will all be better off with all round cameras in cars. Insurance costs should plummet then as these scams will be minimised in one fell swoop:thumb:


Fleet insurers have started to encourage the use of dash cams, especially on distressed fleets. They normally carry a condition that any accident must be reported within 24hrs and the video evidence submitted, regardless of fault.

They love them, it serves two purposes. Firstly where a non fault accident is concerned, they often act as conclusive evidence to prove negligence, saving a fortune in solicitors bills and court costs. Secondly, where their own customer is at fault, they can determine this straight away and get the third party's car repaired straight away and get them in a courtesy car, again saving a fortune in third party solicitors costs and potential hire car cost. I have seen claims escalate to £40k where the actual damage was circa £5k, there was another £20k in hire costs and another £15k in legal costs. These sort of claims can be avoided from the outset.


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## sfstu (Aug 3, 2010)

Rebel007 said:


> yet another reason for investing in a windscreen mounted camera.
> 
> I only bought one recently but the cost was negligable and it records onto a standard SD card has time and date stamped on the recording and protects any video where a major impact has happened, for well under £50 it gives peace of mind in a LOT of situations especially when an accident has occured.
> 
> It comes on with the ignition and its fit and forget, worth every penny imho.


which one and from where...?


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Mine cost me £40 from Dealextreme...


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## sfstu (Aug 3, 2010)

interesting...and cheaper than i thought too...
have heard of that scam a little while back, and a mate was involved in an accident a year ago which sounds very much like it was setup...the car he was involved with had 2 occupants, which became 3 when it came to the inevitable whiplash claim...
i know he wishes he'd had one of these cameras set up....:doublesho

been thinking about getting one for the wife's car and maybe my van too...
do you have to have the rear facing camera? my astra van has a cage bulkhead and a grill at the rear window and tinted rear screen so visibility is pretty rubbish...!
plus don't fancy being on camera, picking my nose or something...

sounds like the way forward as there seem so many scams involving road accidents and claims...:thumb:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

You can get single lens cameras. On mine you have the option of just the front or both, as per the videos.

I've seen some right iffy claims in my time, from increasing the number of occupants in a car to even there being four injury claims when someone hit a parked car with nobody in it.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Shiny said:


> Mine cost me £40 from Dealextreme...
> 
> InCar DVR - Daylight Single Cam - YouTube
> 
> InCar DVR - Daylight on Dual Cam - YouTube


Quality on that is excellent, did it take you long to find a bit of driving you could put on here without being slated?
I did notice the first one cut off just as you were about to undertake the car in the 2nd lane:thumb:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Darlofan said:


> Quality on that is excellent, did it take you long to find a bit of driving you could put on here without being slated?
> I did notice the first one cut off just as you were about to undertake the car in the 2nd lane:thumb:


Lol, no, i just a few cm behind him flashing my lights and beeping my horn till he moved out the way :lol::lol::driver:


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## Deniance (Jun 28, 2008)

Even if every car had a camera in it, front back sides whatever, do you honestly believe for 1 second that insurance costs will come down?, pfft, enough, im off to fill up me car, unleaded is only 79p a litre..........................


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## gibee (Jul 5, 2013)

Rebel007 said:


> yet another reason for investing in a windscreen mounted camera.
> 
> I only bought one recently but the cost was negligable and it records onto a standard SD card has time and date stamped on the recording and protects any video where a major impact has happened, for well under £50 it gives peace of mind in a LOT of situations especially when an accident has occured.
> 
> It comes on with the ignition and its fit and forget, worth every penny imho.


Wish I had that when I was fooled by a misleading signal at a junction, my witness bailed on me and the other party naturally didn't admit to indicating. Does make indicators kind of pointless as the insurance company said even on a roundabout they mean squat.

Much to the annoyance of others i wait for every car to turn if they are signaling, even if they flash too... yeah i know what your thinking but sadly my faith in others is so reduced and my premium is going to be about £150 more for the next few years. Plus the car was never the same so ended up selling it.

Been looking at getting a camera with a wide angle to, doesn't see too much effort to hard wire in.


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