In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of insurance scams targeting the auto insurance industry.

Car insurance payouts are often large sums, which draws in criminals to stage or even cause accidents on the road.

In some major cities, criminal gangs have even orchestrated multiple car collision incidents worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, if you’re determined to get into a car accident so you can commit insurance fraud, remember to pick a target that’s not recording you.

Recently, a Florida man named Mauril Aldophe was arrested in connection with an alleged plot to force a tow truck to rear-end him.

Unfortunately for Aldophe, that tow truck came equipped with a dashcam.

According to investigators, Aldophe staged a crash, blamed the other driver and filed an insurance claim.

Based on arrest records, Aldophe was driving through Boca Raton, FL, while a tow truck driver drove behind him. Aldophe suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

However, the truck driver managed to stop in time, so Aldophe drove forward several more feet, then kicked his car into reverse and slammed into the tow truck.

Aldophe initially told police that the truck hit him from behind when he was forced to make a sudden stop.

Three days after the “accident,” he went to a medical clinic and claimed that the truck had hit him as he was stopped at a red light.

The thing is, Aldophe didn’t count on there being a dashcam in the tow truck.

According to police, footage from the camera clearly showed Aldophe’s car stopping for no reason, then driving forward, stopping again, and then backing into the tow truck.

Aldophe was charged with insurance fraud and participating in an intentional crash.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, here are the top reasons why you should consider a dashboard camera now…

Avoiding Fraudsters. As I mentioned, insurance fraud is one of the most common problems of the 21st century, especially when it comes to vehicles.

Simply put, some drivers and pedestrians purposely cause accidents just to put the blame on the other party in order to extort money from the victim.

By installing the camera on the dashboard of your car and recording all the events, you can prevent scammers from illegally extorting money from you or from going after your insurance company.

Record while away. Now, you wouldn’t want to leave your dashcam on all night, however, perhaps you need to run into the grocery store and are worried about a suspicious person walking around the parking lot.

While the dashcam won’t see everything, it could definitely act as a deterrent or maybe catch a criminal in the act.

My point is, things happen when you least expect it, so having a dash cam may catch some interesting footage.

First hand evidence. This is, by far, the main reason why many car drivers invest their money in dash cams.

A camera can start recording as soon as you start your car’s engine and it will provide real-time, efficient, straight-to-the-point proof in case of an accident.

To sum it up, a dashboard camera is a great investment, especially since it is very cost-effective and usually has straightforward features. There is a wide array of dash cameras to choose from.

If you are interested in a high-end, quality camera, you may wish to check out the Garmin Dash Cam Tandem, which sells for about $200, but has all the best features from a well-known brand.