“Once the target landed on the malicious webpage, he or she was prompted to confirm they ‘are not a robot,’” it continued. The email in question is titled “New Incoming Voicemessage,” with the body text spoofed to appear as if a private message has been sent via WhatsApp to the recipient.Ĭlicking “Play” in the email will redirect the victim to a web page that attempts to install the JS/Kryptik Trojan, obfuscated JavaScript that tries to redirect the browser to a specific URL and trigger an exploit, Armorblox said. Tom Hill, detective chief inspector at City of London, said: “We urge road users to learn the tell-tale signs that can precede these collisions, as knowing them can help protect you from falling victim.”Īnyone who suspects they have been targeted can call Cheatline on 0800 4220421.Tens of thousands of victims have been tricked into clicking on an email claiming to contain a WhatsApp voicemail message, according to researchers.Ī team at Armorblox has already detected close to 28,000 mailboxes impacted across Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. The IFB is working with City of London police, the lead force for fraud, to catch the gangs. ‘Often highly organised, and constantly looking for new targets to exploit, these criminals put lives at risk.” Mark Allen, head of fraud and financial crime, at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), said: “Staged ‘crash-for-cash’ scams are a dangerous menace on our roads. “However, we are worried that if these scams continue, someone will eventually be seriously hurt.” “There have been no injuries reported in relation to the innocent vehicle drivers but there has been some low-level personal injury claims for the moped riders,” said Ms Jallow. Most have been in affluent parts of north London but the IFB fear the 2,250 cases involving nearly every motor insurer in the UK could be an under-estimate as drivers may not be aware they have been a victim of such a scam. The IFB says there have been cases of multiple claims involving the same moped or same rider. There have also been reports of the accomplice using a van to help obscure the victim’s view before the moped drives into them, making the scam easier to carry out. The fraudster sometimes has an accomplice to act as a witness and help facilitate the fraud. They slam on their brakes just before impact, throw their moped to the ground and drop to the floor to dramatise an injury, before taking photos of the incident. The moped scammer hides out of sight in a side road or parking space, and then deliberately drives into the victim as they head towards them. Unlike traditional “crash-for-cash” scams where fraudsters slam on their car’s brake in hope that the victim behind can’t stop in time, this involves mopeds being driven at oncoming cars. They asked me if I could verify what happened. “Two weeks later I got a call from my insurance company to say they had had a claim against me. I took pictures of his bike then went on my way,” she said. He would not give me any of his details but I gave him mine. It cost her £1,500 for repairs to her car with the claim now being challenged by specialist investigators acting for her insurers after she supplied pictures taken at the scene of his undamaged moped. She took pictures of his undamaged bike, only to be told via what he claimed was his insurers that the moped rider was demanding £300 for his “written off” bike and the rent for hiring a replacement. One victim - a 47-year-old mother travelling with her daughter - had her 4x4 estate car hit by the metal delivery box of a moped driver who appeared to deliberately reverse his bike into her car at a junction in north London. “They know that people with high-value vehicles have typically got fully comprehensive insurance and they can get more money out of those insurance companies.” ![]() “They’re deliberately targeting certain areas, certain junctions, and certain vehicles,” he said. The fraudsters are targeting motorists living in affluent areas or expensive cars, according to Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase dash cams. The scam has become an “epidemic” in the past two years with insurers receiving bogus claims worth an estimated £27 million, said Ursula Jallow, director at the Insurance Fraud Board (IFB). It is estimated about 2,300 motorists have been victims of the scams, with delivery riders on mopeds staging accidents in order to issue bogus insurance claims for damage to their bikes and injury. Drivers have been warned over a new “crash-for-cash” scam that is targeting high-end cars.
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