Moped crash scams around Barry Road/Underhill/Goodrich

[Rockets]

Apparently they are now operating in the Calton Avenue/Woodwarde Road/Beauval Road area around school drop off and pick-up times.

[Pugwash]

This was discussed at the Dulwich Hill SNT on Monday evening. Police would like to be informed of all incidents to get a picture of the areas targeted. If they can build up a 'profile' it may be possible for unmarked cars/ and non uniformed officers to patrol those areas.  

[Happyme5]

I thought they would get busy again with the school runs back on.  Nasty lot of criminals.  

[malumbu]

Update from our friend - police formally responded  - the driver was uninsured and unable to be traced or was riding a foreign registered vehicle.  The registration was UK so this is a standard reply.  The police then referred to the Motor Insurance Bureau for uninsured claims - damage to the car is negligible. They are tempted to put a claim to his 'insurance company' to see what they come up with; they have a scan of his insurance.  Obviously fake.

So it looks like they bother you through claims agents hoping for a cash settlement, not sure if they will then take it to your insurer and whether the latter would play hardball, or just cough up.

But the sensible thing of reporting it to the police paid off, even if they did not catch the perpetrator and/or the gang. 

As reported raised separately with local plod in Lewisham and Southwark.

So give minimum information, if you have the presence of mind/feel strong enough at the time ring 999 there and then, if not ASAP.  Deny everything.  Ideally carry out a citizens arrest, but never heard of anyone doing this in real life....

[Kipper_1972]

Lots of useful advice...  if it were to happen to me I'd stand there and give them the silent treatment.

Take video and walk around unphased, they'll eventually go away....

Even if you have to wait all day it's better than the followup scenarios.....  That way you haven't left the scene of the "accident" (you video them riding off)

Are they going to be able to sue you personally - No (litigation applies common sense)

Will they contact the police - No

Therefore no need for you to contact your own insurance company (because of some jokers jumping around). Go home and sleep soundly. Afterwards send photos of the incident to the police.

(waiting for them to "leave" doesn't work if you're trying to collect your child from school etc)

Edited November 16, 2024 by Kipper_1972

[Mrs R]

Hi, sadly the scam happened to me on Thursday last week. It was 9.40am and I was driving alone and stopped at the junction of Goodrich Road and Friern Road. I was turning left onto Friern Road and due to parked cars and not being able to see I edged forward and stopped just over the give way lines. I was stationery, plenty of room around me and a moped/scooter with Bike It on the side drove straight into me. It was deliberate as the road was clear and I wasn’t in his way. He had to change course to hit me. I hadn’t read this post before so didn’t have the great tips and info. Just to flag its sadly happening again and be safe and pass on so others can read the advice here. I’m fine and moped driver is fine too. My insurance will pay out and weren’t interested in the scam sadly. Police weren’t interested either. Automatically my fault as my front wheel was over give way lines. 

[HeadNun]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Please do report it - you never know. 

On Hallowe'en I saw something similar in that area - a bike drove straight into a slow moving car. But immediately the biker said it was his fault. It looked like one of these scams to me and I wonder if the biker said mea culpa straight away because there were loads of people out trick-or-treating, so the driver would have had a ton of witnesses. 

[intexasatthe moment]

2 hours ago, Mrs R said:

Automatically my fault as my front wheel was over give way lines. 

But how could you have checked if it was safe for you to turn without pulling out from the junction ?

Mrs R - a very similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago .

I was turning right into Dunstans Rd from Cornflower Terrace .Just after 9am .

Had to pull out into Dunstans because of parked vans on corner of Dunstans and Cornflower .

I was stationery and watched in horror as a scooter drove down Dunstans into my car .

My insurance are treating it as a dispute .Damage to bike ,hire of bike and injury are being claimed .

Dunstans is a longish perfectly straight road ,if you're driving down it there is good visibility.

Same for Friern Rd . 

[Sue]

One of the issues  is cars and vans parking too close to a corner (presumably on yellow lines?) 

It happens all the time round here.

[Rockets]

Not necessarily...there has been a big increase in these types of scam around Townley, Dovercourt etc and all of the double yellows were extended by the council recently and no-one parks there now.

 

[Sue]

3 hours ago, Rockets said:

Not necessarily...there has been a big increase in these types of scam around Townley, Dovercourt etc and all of the double yellows were extended by the council recently and no-one parks there now.

 

I was referring to the two posters above who both said that  they had to be in a different position on the road than they would normally have been because of vehicles parked too near corners (presumably affecting their view round the corner).

I obviously wasn't suggesting that every fake "accident" is caused by that, but in those cases it presumably made it easier to make it look as though the "accident" was at least partly the car driver's fault.

And my reference to it happening all the time round here was about the parking too near corners. Many many decades ago I got a fine for doing that, and I presume it's still not allowed, for safety reasons.

 

Edited July 10 by Sue

[Pugwash]

Friern Road and Goodrich Roads come under Dulwich Hill SNT = was it this team you reported the incident to?  At the last SNT meeting, they announced that the crash for scams happenings seem to be tailing off. 

I agree that coming from Goodrich and turning into Friern is very difficult due to poor visibility at that junction.

Best  thing to do is ring the police and not get into discussion with the bike rider. A few people have done this and the moped/bike rider  have quickly left the scene.

[HeadNun]

Good advice. Big stickers, a bit like those 'baby on board' ones, saying instead 'dashcam fitted' might also be a deterrent, I wonder if they exist...

Aha! 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dashcam+warning&adgrpid=53601203672&gad_source=1&hvadid=578367414201&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9044980&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=6801300818625117392--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6801300818625117392&hvtargid=kwd-2417310850075&hydadcr=4616_2155301&mcid=78f5675ea56e3c31820de3753a431545&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_3cbmr26r5i_e

[Happyme5]

These guys seem to 'pick' who they pick on.  They are very unpleasant and usually choose woman drivers - with children in the car if they can.   Have any men had this happen to them?   

[HeadNun]

Forgive me for asking what's probably a silly question, I don't know how this works, but am I right in thinking these guys just use your registration number, find out your insurer and then approach them directly? Is there no opportunity for the driver to do the same - ie get their reg plate number, and claim on their insurance? 

[Rockets]

2 hours ago, Happyme5 said:

Have any men had this happen to them?   

Almost exclusively women, normally around schools during drop and pick times. If any man approaches they tend to speed off. They're cowards. 

 

[alice]

33 minutes ago, Rockets said:

Almost exclusively women, normally around schools during drop and pick times. If any man approaches they tend to speed off. They're cowards. 

 

And you know this because?

[Rockets]

1 hour ago, alice said:

And you know this because?

The pattern of the plethora of incidents of this happening locally. It's part of the criminals' MO.

[alice]

No I meant How did you know that most drivers were women?

[Sue]

Rockets said:

The pattern of the plethora of incidents of this happening locally. It's part of the criminals' MO.

Do you know this just because of what's been posted on here?

Because not everyone in East Dulwich posts on this forum!

I'm not saying you aren't right, because it would make sense for the moped riders  to pick on drivers who they perceived as weaker,  but do you have the hard data to back it up?

Edited Saturday at 09:08 by Sue

[Sue]

10 hours ago, Rockets said:

The pattern of the plethora of incidents of this happening locally. It's part of the criminals' MO.

Sorry got in a muddle with editing and can't see how to delete this

Edited Saturday at 09:10 by Sue

[Rockets]

12 hours ago, Sue said:

happening locally. It's part of the criminals' MO.

Do you know this just because of what's been posted on here?

No, because of what has been happening in our local area.

12 hours ago, Sue said:

I'm not saying you aren't right, because it would make sense for the moped riders  to pick on drivers who they perceived as weaker,  but do you have the hard data to back it up?

I dont think they are doing it because of any perceived weakness but more that busy mums with a full car of kids rushing to get to school and on with their day present an opportunity for what is, essentially, a distraction scam. PCSOs have been advising people to intervene to help anyone targeted by them as they suddenly make a miraculous recovery when challenged by people other than the driver they have targeted.