Staged Car Accidents A Growing Menace In South Carolina

Most people try to avoid a car wreck, but for some criminals a deliberate crash is seen as a ticket to quick riches. In South Carolina, a rising number of suspected insurance scammers have been flagged for submitting claims related to collisions that turn out to be no accident. The state ranks No. 7 nationally for staged vehicle accidents, officials said. "This is a dangerous problem that not only puts innocent drivers at risk, but also requires emergency crews to respond to these staged crime scenes, which wastes taxpayers dollars," said Alan Wilson, state attorney general, in the Insurance Fraud Division’s most recent annual report released in 2016.