It is the latest dirty tactic used by criminal gangs to net tens of thousands of pounds, while often risking causing death or injury to the victim. 

‘Flash for cash’, as it has been dubbed, is allowing criminal gangs to make money by making false personal injury claims for whiplash. The criminals bill insurance companies for loss of earnings or even submit fake bills for vehicle storage, recovery, repairs and replacement car hire. 

And more often than not, it is elderly motorists or women with young children who are targeted by these heartless scoundrels, according to Asset Protection Unit, which works with police and the insurance industry to investigate fraud – warning that scammers tend to target drivers they believe will not put up a fight afterwards. 

Detective Inspector Dave Hindmarsh from the Metropolitan Police said that the scandal costs the insurance industry hundreds of millions of pounds every year – a cost that is inevitably picked up by the souring costs of insurance for younger drivers. He told the BBC that it is a ‘growing problem’.

“Financially it costs insurers £392m a year,” he said. “That impacts on motorists as it's an extra £50 to £100 on every person''s premium, so that''s a financial cost.

“There are emotional costs as if you're involved in a crash you could well lose your confidence, and if your passengers are children they may well become wary of being passengers in cars, and of course you may get injured or killed.”

It is a variation on the widely known ‘crash for cash’ scam, in which criminals from gangs slam on their brakes for no reason, forcing the victim to crash into the rear of the criminal’s vehicle.