Auto grips on the road: what it is and how to avoid it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Life hacker asked lawyers how not to become a victim of criminals.

What is AutoFit

An auto-fit is a situation when fraudsters provoke or stage an accident in which you are supposedly to blame. After that, they extort money, offer to "come to an agreement on the spot" in order to hide the accident and avoid more serious consequences, and threaten.

Criminals rely on your confusion and inexperience in this matter, so they rely on psychological pressure. Not everyone can withstand such pressure.

What are auto-fittings

1. Roll back

You are standing in a traffic jam or at a traffic light. Suddenly, the car in front of you starts rolling backward. Collisions cannot be avoided, and the one behind is usually to blame.

2. Overtaking

The car overtakes you, but unexpectedly surrenders to the right and brakes. You enter it from behind. If you try to go to the right, then the fraudster's accomplice will most likely be waiting for you there.

3. Make way

The method is similar to the previous one. Only in this case will the car driving behind you force you to give way. Flashing headlights, sound signals and other annoying things will be used. When you decide that it is better to give in than to endure, and turn the steering wheel to the right, your car will drive into the car of an accomplice who was somewhere nearby.

4. Box

Fraudsters in two cars are attached to your right and left. The car on the left will go pretty close while the accomplice is in the dead zone. At some point, the left car will force you to turn to the right to avoid a collision, but a second car will already be waiting for you there.

5. Downed pedestrian

At the crossing, a pedestrian suddenly rushes onto the hood. He may present you with a bruised leg or an expensive technique broken from a blow.

Dmitry Zatsarinsky attorney

One of the methods that are gaining popularity is an auto-stand with a pedestrian without a "victim" at all. Fraudsters first leave a trail on your car, then they catch up with you in two cars and claim that you hit a pedestrian and fled the scene of the accident.

6. A salvo of potatoes

An emergency situation is created in which fraudsters do not even try to set up an accident. Damage to the car of the "victims" is done in advance, and the sound of the impact is imitated by throwing potatoes or something similar into your car.

Each of these schemes can receive non-standard development.

You agree to sort it out on the spot, give the money and leave. After that, the scammers call you and demand more money, since you fled the scene of the accident.

Dmitry Zatsarinsky attorney

How to avoid auto-framing

It is impossible to completely protect yourself from the actions of fraudsters, but there are several effective measures that will reduce the risks.

1. Observe traffic rules

If you do not exceed the speed, keep your distance and focus on the road, rather than dashing at intersections and typing SMS along the way, it will be more difficult to substitute you. Before choosing a victim, scammers observe the behavior of the surrounding drivers. And the more confident you are on the road, the less chances that you will be chosen.

2. Buy a DVR

The recording device will help in controversial situations. For example, it will be easy with it to prove that a pedestrian suddenly jumped on your hood.

Only two such devices can be better than a registrar. The second in this case is to record what is happening behind the car.

3. Don't be nervous

Philosophically perceive other people's manifestations of feelings on the road. If someone starts honking hysterically, this is not a reason to drastically change the direction of movement and fulfill his whims.

How to behave in the event of an accident so as not to become a victim of scammers

Now participants in an accident can independently issue it if several conditions are met:

• The participants in the accident are two cars.
• Both have CTP policies.
• There are no injuries, the property of third parties is not damaged.
• The participants have no disagreements.
• The amount of damage does not exceed 50 thousand rubles (400 thousand - for Moscow and St. Petersburg).

If you suspect an auto-fake, you will at least have a disagreement with your opponent. In addition, criminals are usually tuned in to receive money in cash, and not at all to receive payments from the insurance company.

But unpleasant consequences can be, even if you are faced not with a scammer, but simply with an unscrupulous driver. So, when drawing up an accident scheme yourself, it is worth considering a few points.

Rail Gizyatov Leading Lawyer of the European Legal Service

Check your opponent's CTP policy on the website of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers. There are cases when people drive with fake documents.

According to lawyer Dmitry Zatsarinsky, if you become a participant in an accident and suspect a setup, you need to follow an algorithm that will help you avoid troubles in the future.

1. Do not leave the scene of the accident: for this, your driver's license may be revoked for up to one and a half years. In addition, fraudsters will have leverage over you.
2. Call the traffic police, who will fill in the necessary documents on their own and identify the culprits.
3. Make sure there are no casualties. If they are, call an ambulance or take them to the hospital yourself, and then return to the scene of the accident.
4. Take photos and videos of the accident scene.
5. Write down the numbers of witnesses who can help in a disputable situation. Please note that scammers may have accomplices who present themselves as eyewitnesses.

Fraudsters will not necessarily extort money - they can simply steal it. So don't panic. Lock the doors every time you get out of the car so that no one can pick up anything from the passenger compartment.

If opponents are behaving aggressively, close yourself inside the car and immediately call the police.