Swoop & squat: Beware of these insurance fraudsters

This auto fraud is alive and well. Heres how to conduct a successful investigation.

By Christopher Tidball | Updated on March 09, 2015

It was on June 17, 1992, that the phrase swoop & squat became a household name. This form of staged accidents was commonplace on the highways and byways of Los Angeles where I was a claims investigator. But this was the day the phrase went viral.

The catalyst was an accident that occurred on the 5 freeway in the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles. A black Firebird had been rear-ended by a semi that subsequently jack-knifed and dumped its load of cars across the freeway.

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