Humane Crash-for-Cash Scammers Filmed; Could Face Criminal Charges
A traffic camera in Chelyabinsk recorded several similar car accidents that show all signs of being staged. The video below shows two such incidents, but the reader who sent the footage to the editorial office says identical crashes occur at this intersection once a month.
The intersection is located in an industrial area near a road connecting two highways. Oleg, who sent the video, believes the crash-for-cash scammers chose a spot away from cameras and witnesses but miscalculated.
The main road here turns. In the video, one of the cars (likely a white VAZ-2110) stops on a minor road and waits for a foreign car to approach on the main road. The latter stops at the intersection, the white car accelerates, brakes, and hits it in the side. Soon, the «ten» (VAZ-2110) drives away from the accident scene to a parking lot, but after a while returns: probably, the «authors» of the crash were not satisfied with the photos or damages.
The second video was shot at night: here, the driver of a minibus like a Gazelle or Sobol acts as the culprit of the accident. First, he stands in a parking lot, waiting for his accomplice, then drives onto the intersection from a minor road, stops, after which the second car hits him.
Oleg says that accidents of this type have become more frequent in the city and occur not only here; it«s just that the scammers were caught on camera on this particular section of the road.
«The drivers stop, discuss the plan of action in person or by phone, get into their cars, and crash them,» Oleg says. «They don»t call the traffic police, they handle it through the European Accident Statement (Europrotocol). One car is usually an old domestic model, the second is a foreign car, apparently to get more from the insurance company. Also, a Mazda arrives at the accidents, likely the «managers» of the process. I have recorded its license plate number.«
Scammers Changed Their Tactics
Earlier, we wrote about crash-for-cash scammers who entrap other drivers for traffic violations. But such a scheme involves risks, and several years ago, a wave of outrage arose from victims and insurance companies. The method where the scammers own both cars is in some ways «more humane» and safer for them, since the only victim in this case is the insurance company.
But even so, crash-for-cash scammers cause direct harm to motorists: in regions with active scammers, inflated territorial coefficients for OSAGO (compulsory motor third-party liability insurance) are in effect, leading to a significant increase in policy prices. For example, in Chelyabinsk, the coefficient was long the highest in Russia (2.1), then it was reduced to 1.77, but even so, it remains one of the highest in the country. During the December adjustment of OSAGO for Novosibirsk, the territorial coefficient was doubled — from 1.56 to 3.12 units. The Bank of Russia explained this step by the activity of auto fraudsters, so all their «income» is somehow spread across all motorists through inflated basic OSAGO rates (which insurers can choose from a range) and territorial coefficients.
Can the Drivers Be Held Criminally Liable?
Auto lawyer Lev Voropayev notes that recently, the traffic police have been less frequently attending to accidents without injuries, suggesting that drivers call accident commissioners and handle the accident under the Europrotocol. In general, this does not contradict the law, and under certain conditions, the payout limit under the Europrotocol is 400,000 rubles (approximately $4,400 at current rates), the same as when handled through the traffic police.
But such a «generous» Europrotocol makes life easier for scammers as well, and in the scheme described above, only they handle the accident paperwork.
Lev Voropayev is skeptical about the prospect of holding them accountable after the publication of such videos.
«The police are unlikely to take on a case where neither license plates nor faces are visible, especially if it»s about one or two incidents,« he says. »The injured party, in this case the insurance company, should file a report with the police. It has all the data on the cars and drivers, and in this case, initiating a criminal case is possible.«
How to Find the Insurance Company?
Oleg is willing to pass the recordings to insurers but doesn«t know where exactly to send the video.
«There aren»t that many major insurers overall, but I think the most reasonable thing for the video author is to send a statement to the Russian Union of Auto Insurers, attaching the video, and they will be able to identify the insurance company and pass the recordings to its security service,« Lev Voropayev believes.
At the same time, he doubts that a criminal case will be initiated based on a single video: in Lev Voropayev«s opinion, irrefutable evidence is needed for criminal cases.
«It is necessary to prove intent, and for that, you need to show a chain of events linked by one motive,» he says. «The mere fact that a driver stopped at an intersection and another hit him is unlikely to serve as strong evidence of intent. One driver will say his car broke down, the other that he was distracted. Therefore, you need to provide as many recordings as possible.»
Earlier, we reported on new auto laws for motorists that come into effect in 2026. OSAGO became more expensive again back in December 2025. Meanwhile, the project to control policies using traffic enforcement cameras has stalled again.
