Caused 87 Traffic Accidents Targeting Vehicles Violating Traffic Regulations
Continued Crimes Against Multiple Insurance Companies
A group that deliberately caused traffic accidents and collected hundreds of millions of won in insurance money from insurance companies has been handed over to the prosecution.
The Traffic Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency announced on the 12th that a man in his 40s, Mr. A, was arrested on charges of violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud and was handed over to the prosecution on the 23rd of last month.
The police also sent a woman in her 40s, Ms. B, who rode multiple times in the vehicle driven by Mr. A and shared the insurance money, to the prosecution without detention.
Mr. A and others are suspected of causing 87 traffic accidents targeting vehicles violating traffic regulations in the areas of Suwon and Osan cities in Gyeonggi Province from January 2019 to April last year, collecting about 935 million won from 13 insurance companies.
During this period, Mr. A and others caused 10 to 20 intentional traffic accidents per year. It was also found that they caused accidents three times in one month. Since the crimes were committed against multiple insurance companies, no specific insurance company suspected insurance fraud for several years.
The crimes mainly targeted vehicles violating traffic regulations, and among the 87 cases, 67 involved vehicles suddenly changing lanes. In addition, Mr. A once caused an accident by throwing his body directly at a vehicle making a right turn at an intersection to claim insurance money.
Ms. B, an acquaintance of Mr. A, was investigated to have ridden 14 times in the vehicle driven by Mr. A and shared the insurance money. They continued the crimes by driving vehicles owned by themselves or their families, but in April last year, during a phone call with an insurance company, they became aware that they were suspected of insurance fraud and stopped the crimes from May of the following month.
The police seized the financial accounts used by Mr. A and others after receiving an investigation request from the Financial Supervisory Service. They also analyzed electronic information from mobile phones to confirm the usage of the insurance money and the conspiracy relationship. Analysis of the black box in Mr. A’s vehicle was requested from the National Forensic Service and the Korea Road Traffic Authority to determine the intentionality of the accidents.
Additionally, the police confirmed the charges after about seven months of investigation based on circumstances such as Mr. A paying about 1.5 million won in insurance premiums monthly despite having almost no income. It was found that Mr. A and others used the defrauded insurance money for debt repayment and living expenses.
A police official said, "Even minor traffic violations can become targets of crimes that intentionally cause accidents," and added, "Strictly complying with traffic regulations is the best way to prevent damage from insurance fraud crimes."
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