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As an auto insurance company, Esurance hopes you're never involved in an auto accident where someone gets injured. However, if you are, you should be aware that sometimes people exaggerate their injuries, or in some cases, plan to act injured to commit auto insurance fraud.

According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, www.insurancefraud.org more than one out of every three people injured in auto accidents exaggerates their injuries.

Some auto insurance fraudsters stage accidents to cash in on auto insurance claims. Here are some tips you can use to help prevent staged auto insurance fraud from happening to you:

1. Be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for suspicious vehicle activity around you. Suspicious activity can include vehicles “pacing” (following) your vehicle or stopping for no apparent reason. One common scheme fraud perpetrators use is called the “scoop and squat.” In this scenario a group of scammers in 3 different vehicles position their cars around you, and then cause an accident—usually stopping for no apparent reason.
   
   
2. Get information. Curb auto insurance fraud by obtaining as much information about the people involved in the accident as possible. Your ability to get as much information from witnesses and people involved in the accident will help protect you from becoming an auto insurance fraud victim. Asking a lot of questions and documenting the answers you're given will cause auto insurance fraudsters to think twice before pulling one over on you.
   
   At the scene of the crime you'll want to obtain full names, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as license plate numbers, the vehicle model(s), and auto insurance information. You may also want to document where people were seated in the
   vehicle(s) when the accident occurred.
   
   Some fraudsters pull a "jump in" during the claims process, claiming more passengers were in the car. (These made-up passengers typically have injuries, too.) If you have documentation to prove otherwise, you'll be able to refute that claim right away. Witnesses can be especially helpful in an auto insurance fraud situation. Be sure to obtain as much information as possible from potential witnesses including their full name, address, phone number, and their observation.
   
   
3. Have the right equipment. Carry a disposable camera and a cell phone in your vehicle at all times. Having a camera in your car will allow you to document damages at the scene of an accident. Your cell phone can help you alert emergency medical attention and the police.
   
   
4. Document. Document. Document. If you're involved in an accident, you'll want to photo both your vehicle and the other vehicle(s) involved, especially if there's little to no visible damage. Documenting damage at the scene of the crime is very important— it's common for those who practice auto insurance fraud to come back later and claim additional damages to try and receive more money in their auto insurance claim.
   
   
5. Notify the authorities. If you ever have any concerns about an accident or other drivers or passengers, or if someone has injuries (no matter how minor) insist on calling the police. Calling the police, even if they can't show up to the accident scene, will give you an official record of the incident. Keep in mind that if you live in a large city, police are unable to make it to the scene of a minor accident because there are so many of these kinds of accidents!