Can YOU explain this scam?

stockhausen

stockhausen

stockhausen

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if tl;dr then
Possible whiplash claim scam?
Goto end​
endif


I have been a freelance IT Consultant for quite a few years. I have a PAYG mobile that I use exclusively to receive calls connected with my work.

Most of the following identifying details have been altered to protect the innocent. Yesterday afternoon a colleague answered my work mobile. It was a call from a gentleman with an educated British accent wanting to speak to me. When I took the call he said that he wanted to talk to me about a “no-fault accident” I had some years ago.
I asked his name and what company he worked for. He said that he was David Smith calling on behalf of the British Insurance Limited (I believe that this was the actual company name).

ME: So, can you give me some details about this accident?
HIM: You were in no way to blame.
ME: Great, can you give me a few more details please?
HIM: It was a couple of years ago but you weren't to blame.
ME: What was the exact date?
HIM: July 17th 2011 but you weren't to blame.
ME: Where was the accident?
HIM: He gave me the first three characters of a postcode in Manchester and confirmed yet again that I wasn't to blame.
ME: Can you be a bit more specific, where exactly was this accident, what happened?
HIM: The other vehicle was a BMW but you weren't to blame.
ME: This is all incredibly vague, do you actually have specific details of this accident other than that I was entirely blameless?
HIM: No, I'm afraid that that is all I have at the moment.
ME: How did you get my name and number?
HIM: It is in a folder.
ME: So, you have a folder containing my name and number, the date I had an accident (for which I was entirely blameless), a vague location and a make of car, is that right?
HIM: Yes.
ME: Look, when you have some real, specific details I would be delighted to talk to you; until then, please leave me alone.
HIM: Happy Christmas.
ME: CLICK

Has anyone had a similar experience and/or do you have any idea what the point of this incredibly foolish phone call might have been?

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Have a Very Happy Christmas, a great New Year's Eve and restful recovery Thursday Jan 1st and a simply wonderful 2014! :)
 
This is a pretty standard call tbh. Your insurance company likely sold the details they have to a third party ambulance chaser.
 
davido_labido said:
did you have an accident in manchester on that date?
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Nope, never had an accident in Manchester, or involving a BMW (surprisingly).

As to my insurance company selling my details, why? I change insurer every year and haven't had a claim for years.

I am fairly convinced that it was a speculative cold call but I can't work out what the objective was . . . perhaps on the basis that I would correct them about the date, location, other vehicle(s) and specifics of the accident for which I was denying all responsibility but in which I had suffered a truly debilitating and life-changing whiplash injury ;)
 
I had an odd phone call a few days ago.

The guy claimed to be from the Road Traffic Department or something along those lines.
Indian accent English name, he was inquiring about an accident I had that wasn't my fault in the last three years.

It just didn't sound right and I refused to confirm anything and he hung up.


My car was hit while parked about six months back and details were left on the screen, as the damage was a tiny 25cm scratch I couldn't be bothered contacting them.

If it was official it would be done through the post I think it was just a phishing exercise.

They get details and make up a claim against you or get details about you they can use for identity theft.
 
stockhausen said:
I am fairly convinced that it was a speculative cold call but I can't work out what the objective was . . . perhaps on the basis that I would correct them about the date, location, other vehicle(s) and specifics of the accident for which I was denying all responsibility but in which I had suffered a truly debilitating and life-changing whiplash injury ;)
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It is basically exactly this. They work on the idea that there are enough people who have had the odd minor non-fault accident - its hardly uncommon - within the last 3 years. Then when they find somebody who has, you can guess the next part.

Technically it's not a 'scam' because of course you might genuinelly be entitled to compensation without having relaised it, but, we all know it pretty much is.
 
It's probably some dodgy solicitors looking to find gullible/impressionable people to represent in court, if they win brilliant, if they lose the poor fool they're respresenting probably ends up getting locked up for perjury/lying in court?
 
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so insurance company put prices up due to whippy compo claims, then sells client details to whippy compo companies so they can make compo claims against insurance companies. Rinse and repeat.
 
[TW]Fox;25541629 said:
No.

http://www.justice.gov.uk/claims-re...es/referral-fees-ban-in-personal-injury-cases
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A disappointing read :(

As soon as I see a phrase along the lines of "Any breaches of the ban will be subject to appropriate regulatory action by the relevant regulators." I know that I am reading about a meaningless PR exercise.

This disappointment is complete as soon as I realise that two of these uttrerly ineffective "Regulatory Authorities" are the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which is simply a relaunch of the utterly hopeless Financial Services Authority (FSA).
 
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