A notorious crew of fraudsters has been terrorizing a NYC roadway for at least the last three months, causing multiple car crashes in pursuit of a petty payout in the complicated insurance fraud scheme while using the same getaway car for the ringleader’s quick escape.
The dangerous stunt — using older cars and brake-checking into unsuspecting victims — sees the tattooed driver switch seats with a passenger before leaving in a second car as the other occupants act injured from the crash on the Belt Parkway.
Resurfaced footage captured the chaotic scene of a silver Honda driving west on the parkway in Brooklyn when it suddenly slowed down, merged into the right lane, and slammed on its brakes near Exit 15 on Aug. 24.
The cut-off driver could not brake in time and collided with the Honda, but didn’t leave any damage, according to the video posted to Instagram.
Despite the soft collision and little damage, the Honda’s occupants slowly hobbled out of the car, indicating they had stiff backs and neck injuries.
A red Kia bearing the same license plate appeared to be involved in a separate viral crash in October.
Ashpia Natasha fell victim in a similar incident when she was driving in the left lane of the parkway in Queens on Oct. 16, and a silver Honda Civic veered in front of her and slammed on its brakes.
Natasha’s quick reaction saved her from crashing into the Honda.
The unpredictable operator turned on the hazards before flooring the car in reverse into Natasha’s front bumper.
In both cases, the back window was shielded from viewing inside, and the driver swapped seats with another passenger.
As the other occupants slowly move to the rear of the car to inspect the “damage,” the suspected driver — a man with tattoos on his legs — makes his getaway, hopping into the SUV as the others exchange information with their victim.
Natasha’s dashcam captured the moment of the swap, which she only saw after the incident.
The man is believed to be the ringleader of the crime crew.
“He’s the head guy — he’s the guy who went out and recruited these other morons to be victims in his scam,” retired NYPD Detective Tom Burke previously told The Post.
“That’s why he leaves the scene,” he continued. “He’s the main guy, he’s the one making the money. The other people are just idiots. You can’t make this stuff up.”
The victims of the August crash revealed they had confronted the passengers on why they braked.
“Didn’t you see the car in front of me?” one person responded, according to an Instagram post.
Dashcam video didn’t show any car in front of the Honda.
The conspiracy rings committing the staged accidents will rope in medical professionals who are willing to punch up the severity of the “injuries,” while lawyers on the take will sue the victimized driver on their behalf.
“I knew he was full of s–t. My insurance is investigating. So is their insurance carrier,” the victim said. “But it’s just bulls–t. And of course they are attorney-represented for bodily injury.”
The Post has reached out to the NYPD.
The silver Honda used in the October crash was discovered by a group of vigilantes in Brooklyn, who took it upon themselves to vandalize the car.
They also wrote “Rats” on another piece of cardboard and stuck it in the back window — in a clear sign that the Bensonhurst neighborhood is wise to their scheming ways.
CREDIT: NY Post Nicholas McEntyre
