Flash for cash (Scam)
A number of road safety groups and Police forces are reporting a growing number of ‘flash for cash’ cases. This is scam perpetrated by criminal gangs.
The scam works by the criminals enticing a motorist to pull out of a junction by flashing their lights, then driving into them and submitting a claim for damages and personal injury.
This type of incident leads to ‘your word, against theirs’. The criminal holds the victim at fault for pulling out in front of them, this cannot be denied under law.
The drivers most at risk are lone women, women with young children in the vehicle and the elderly. The criminals believe that these groups will not challenge them at the scene.
According to the Highway Code, a flashing light should be interpreted as a warning that a car is there but over time it has also come to be regarded as a gesture of courtesy. We should continue to show such courtesy but at the same time assess every situation carefully and not take the courtesy of others for granted.
Your pupils need to be made aware of this type of scam and hopefully they will pass it on to their family and friends.
Don’t be a victim.