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Scams that target drivers after an accident

The scams that follow a crash, from tow trucks you did not call to runners, clinic referrals, fake adjusters and buried deductibles, and how to avoid each one.

4AutoInsurance · Published October 4, 2026

The hours and weeks after a crash are when drivers are easiest to exploit. You are shaken, you need your car moved, and you may be hurt. The common scams follow a predictable order: a tow truck nobody called, a stranger who wants to "keep insurance out of it," calls from people steering you to a clinic or lawyer, fake adjusters asking for payment details, and repair shops that inflate the bill. Knowing the sequence makes each one easier to refuse.

At the scene

The tow truck you did not call

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says legitimate tow companies wait to be called. Predatory ones listen to police scanners or cruise busy roads so they can arrive first. NICB reports an 89% rise in predatory towing claims nationwide from the start of 2022 to the end of 2024, and drivers charged thousands of dollars, in some cases more than $16,000, to get their cars back. NICB also warns that an unrequested tow driver may take your car to a dishonest shop that holds it "hostage" until the insurer pays. The same driver may refer you to questionable doctors and lawyers.

What to do: use the tow service your insurer or roadside plan sends, or the one police call. Ask for the company's name, license and written rates before your car is hooked. Never sign a blank authorization. predatory towing and body shop scams covers the repair-shop side in more depth.

"Let's not involve insurance"

A driver who offers cash to skip insurance may be honest. They may also be uninsured, driving without a license, or planning to claim later that you caused the crash and hurt them. If you agree and they never pay, you have lost time and evidence. Exchange full information anyway, photograph everything, and report the crash to your insurer even if no claim follows. Policies generally require prompt notice of an accident, and a late report can complicate coverage.

A crash that was set up

Some crashes are not accidents at all. NICB describes the panic stop, where a driver brakes hard in front of you for no reason. It also describes the "drive down," where a driver waves you forward and then hits you, and the swoop-and-squat, where a second car cuts in to force the stop. Warning signs include a car full of passengers who all complain of injuries, "witnesses" who appear instantly and side with the other driver, and pressure to accept a particular tow or clinic. See staged car accident scams and the swoop-and-squat scam. Dash cam footage is one of the best defenses; see dash cams and car insurance.

In the days after

Runners and solicitors

"Runners" find crash victims through police reports, tow drivers or scanners and steer them to a clinic or law office in return for a fee. Calls or visits often come within days, from people who seem to know details of your crash. Many states restrict this. Florida, for example, makes it a felony under section 817.234(8) to solicit crash victims with intent to defraud. It also bars most non-advertising solicitation of crash victims within 60 days of the crash.

You do not have to talk to them. If you need a doctor, start with your own. If you need a lawyer, find one yourself rather than taking a stranger's referral.

Clinics that treat the claim, not the patient

Fraud rings often include medical providers who bill for treatment that was unnecessary or never given. Your name ends up on those bills, and your PIP or medical payments limit can be drained by them. Read every explanation of benefits your insurer sends. If it lists treatment you did not receive, report it.

Fake adjusters and phishing

After a crash is reported, scammers may call, text or email posing as the other driver's insurer. They ask you to "verify" a card number, pay a fee to release a check, or click a link to upload photos. Real adjusters give you a claim number and do not need your bank password or a processing fee. Call back using a number from the insurer's website before you share anything. car insurance phishing, text and call scams has more examples.

Early settlement and releases

Signing a release of liability usually ends your claim for good. Anyone, including a legitimate insurer, who pushes you to sign quickly for a small check before you know the extent of your injuries is asking you to take a risk. Wait until you understand your medical situation and repair costs.

At the repair shop

NICB's repair-scam guidance lists the moves to watch for:

  • "We'll bury your deductible." The shop hides your deductible in an inflated estimate, often by billing for new factory parts and installing cheaper or used ones. That is insurance fraud, and the parts may be unsafe.
  • Recycled or fake airbags installed in place of new ones, billed at full price.
  • Estimates for work never done or parts never installed.
  • Unsolicited glass "inspections" that lead to claims on your policy.

Choose a shop yourself, check reviews and certifications, and ask for an itemized estimate and the replaced parts. Using your insurer's direct repair program is generally your choice, not a requirement, but it does give you a shop the insurer has vetted.

A quick checklist

  1. Call police for injuries or serious damage, and your insurer from the scene if you can.
  2. Accept only a tow your insurer, roadside plan or police arranges, and get the rates in writing.
  3. Photograph the cars, plates, licenses, insurance cards, the scene and any passengers. Use the after-accident checklist and information form.
  4. Don't discuss fault, cash deals or injuries with strangers who show up.
  5. Ignore runners. Pick your own doctor, lawyer and repair shop.
  6. Verify every caller who claims to be an insurer, using a number you look up.
  7. Read every medical and repair bill tied to your claim.

If you spot any of these schemes, report them; how to report insurance fraud lists who to call.

Key takeaways

  • Predatory towing is the first scam many drivers meet. NICB reports an 89% rise in predatory towing claims from 2022 through 2024.
  • Use the tow your insurer or police arrange, and never sign a blank authorization.
  • Runners, clinic referrals and fake adjusters often follow within days. Choose your own providers and verify every caller.
  • A shop that offers to "bury" your deductible is proposing insurance fraud.
  • Report suspected schemes to your insurer, your state fraud bureau or NICB.

Terms used in this guide

Staged accident A crash deliberately caused or faked to file fraudulent insurance claims, often by organized rings of drivers, passengers and complicit providers. Insurance fraud Deceiving an insurer, or a policyholder, for financial gain, from staged crashes and padded claims to fake policies and lies on applications. Release of liability A document an injured person signs to accept a settlement and give up further claims against the at-fault party for that accident. Direct repair program An arrangement between an insurer and approved body shops that accept its pricing and procedures in exchange for referred repair work. Claims adjuster The insurance company employee or contractor who investigates a claim, decides what the policy covers and sets how much is paid. Claim number The unique reference an insurer assigns when a loss is reported, used to track every call, document and payment on that claim.

Related states

Florida Florida is a no-fault state: most drivers need only $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage liability, with no bodily injury coverage. A 51% fault bar applies.

Related tools

After-accident checklist and information form A step-by-step checklist for the scene of a car accident and a form for the details to exchange, which you can print or keep on your phone.

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