The New Age of Auto Fraud
What if we told you the car crash in that claim file didn’t actually happen the way they said it did—or worse, it was staged from the start?
Welcome to 2025, where auto insurance fraud isn’t just thriving—it’s evolving. With over $9.2 billion in auto lending fraud and vehicle thefts topping one million last year, insurers are dealing with more smoke than just totaled bumpers.
The bad news? Fraudsters are getting smarter.
The good news? So are we.
Table of Contents
- The New Age of Auto Fraud
- Who’s Behind the Wheel? Understanding Today’s Fraudsters
- Key Legal Red Flags Every Adjuster Should Spot
- Defense Strategies That Actually Work
- Why Legal Partnerships Matter More Than Ever
- Let’s Talk Strategy
Who’s Behind the Wheel? Understanding Today’s Fraudsters
It’s no longer just shady garages or slip-and-fall veterans moonlighting as crash victims. Today’s fraudsters are:
- Ghost Brokers selling fake policies via social media (source).
- Synthetic Identity Thieves using AI-generated personas to take out auto loans they’ll never repay (source).
- Crash-for-Cash Crews who choreograph collisions better than Hollywood stunt doubles (source).
Synthetic ID fraud alone spiked 98% last year in auto lending. That’s one in every 120 applications now ringing alarm bells (source).
Key Legal Red Flags Every Adjuster Should Spot
Let’s face it—adjusters are the first line of defense. And if you’re not spotting the red flags early, your defense counsel is playing catch-up. Here’s what to watch for:
- Inconsistent Statements: Witness stories that change faster than a turn signal.
- Patterned Claims: Repeat claimants with multiple accidents in short timeframes.
- Mismatched Documentation: VIN numbers, police reports, or insurance applications that don’t align.
- Ghost Policy Indicators: Policies purchased through questionable agents or platforms.
If it smells off, it probably is. But the real question is: how fast can you flag it for your legal team?
Defense Strategies That Actually Work
At Bruno Gerbino Soriano and Aitken, we’ve built our reputation by tearing down bad claims brick by brick. Here’s what works:
- Aggressive Early Investigation: We help carriers investigate within hours, not days.
- Pattern Recognition Litigation: We analyze fraud rings and link seemingly separate cases.
- PIP & No-Fault Pushback: We defend against questionable medical claims with surgical precision.
- Digital Discovery: From metadata to social feeds—we pull fraud out of the shadows.
We don’t just wait for the fraud to unfold. We intercept it.
Why Legal Partnerships Matter More Than Ever
Insurers can’t fight this alone. As fraudsters get more tech-savvy and organized, your legal team needs to be part forensic expert, part strategist, part trial warrior.
Think of it like this: You’re building the wall. We’re reinforcing it with steel.
Let’s Talk Strategy
Whether you’re seeing suspicious activity in your claims queue or just want to sharpen your fraud response, we’re ready.
🛡️ Bruno Gerbino Soriano and Aitken
New York’s premier insurance defense firm for fraud litigation
📍 bgslaw-ny.com
Let’s defend the drive—together.