El fraude conocido como “montachoques”, común en países como México, ha comenzado a extenderse por carreteras estadounidenses. Este esquema criminal consiste en provocar accidentes menores con el objetivo de extorsionar económicamente a las víctimas.
Aunque sofisticado, un reciente incidente grabado por una dashcam ha puesto en evidencia las tácticas utilizadas por estos delincuentes, brindando una valiosa lección sobre cómo evitar caer en sus trampas.
Los montachoques suelen trabajar en grupo y manipulan situaciones de tráfico para provocar choques aparentemente accidentales. Por ejemplo, en el caso reciente compartido por una víctima en redes sociales, los estafadores frenaron abruptamente en un carril de alta velocidad, obligando al vehículo detrás a impactarlos. Luego, los responsables agravaron la colisión al retroceder intencionalmente, simulando un choque más grave.
Insurance fraud attempt in Queens, NY 10-16-2024 PART 1 I was driving in the left lane of the Belt Parkway going East bound towards the Southern State Parkway. The silver Honda (LBB 8917) was in the middle lane, and they cut me off and slammed on the brakes coming to a full stop hoping I would hit them. I did not hit their car and because of that they reversed into my car for collision and acted as if they were injured while coming out of their vehicle. I believe the intention was to say I hit their car for insurance fraud purposes. They had a tarp covering the rear windshield which fell off once they hit my car. You can see the driver is a male wearing a hat and you can see him switching to the passenger seat as well as the movement of the car before anyone gets out. The first three passengers exit the car pretending to be hurt, while the fourth passenger who was driving slips out through the passenger seat and gets into a second vehicle. That second vehicle was a red KIA SUV (KJH 3340) which was following me from behind and keeping distance so they wouldn’t slam into me. The red KIA drove around and picked up the driver to get away. The remaining three people’s demeanor changed once one of them noticed the dashcam. They only came out of the car with their phones ready to record the damage to both cars. They were quick to ask for my insurance and quickly left after the exchange. I called the police at the time of the incident and reported it as an accident, and the police told me they no longer go to an accident if no one is injured and they are willing to exchange information. I did not realize at the time that the driver switched and left in another car or that it was a set-up as I was driving by myself, and everything happened so fast. #queensny#car#caraccident#exposed#newyork#brooklynny @nbcnews @abcnews @nypd @geico @allstate @pix11ny
Acto seguido, los montachoques suelen mostrar una actitud de sorpresa o preocupación, fotografiando los daños y reclamando compensaciones inmediatas. En este incidente, al notar que el auto de la víctima tenía una cámara, los estafadores huyeron de la escena, dejando claro que temen ser descubiertos.
Insurance fraud attempt in Queens, NY 10-16-2024 PART 2 I was driving in the left lane of the Belt Parkway going East bound towards the Southern State Parkway. The silver Honda (LBB 8917) was in the middle lane, and they cut me off and slammed on the brakes coming to a full stop hoping I would hit them. I did not hit their car and because of that they reversed into my car for collision and acted as if they were injured while coming out of their vehicle. I believe the intention was to say I hit their car for insurance fraud purposes. They had a tarp covering the rear windshield which fell off once they hit my car. You can see the driver is a male wearing a hat and you can see him switching to the passenger seat as well as the movement of the car before anyone gets out. The first three passengers exit the car pretending to be hurt, while the fourth passenger who was driving slips out through the passenger seat and gets into a second vehicle. That second vehicle was a red KIA SUV (KJH 3340) which was following me from behind and keeping distance so they wouldn’t slam into me. The red KIA drove around and picked up the driver to get away. The remaining three people’s demeanor changed once one of them noticed the dashcam. They only came out of the car with their phones ready to record the damage to both cars. They were quick to ask for my insurance and quickly left after the exchange. I called the police at the time of the incident and reported it as an accident, and the police told me they no longer go to an accident if no one is injured and they are willing to exchange information. I did not realize at the time that the driver switched and left in another car or that it was a set-up as I was driving by myself, and everything happened so fast. #queensny#car#caraccident#exposed#newyorkbrooklynny@nbcnews @abcnews@nypd@geico@allstate@pix11ny
Tener todos los registros y evidencias posibles es vital para efectuar la denuncia.
1. Instala una cámara en tu vehículo (dashcam): Las grabaciones de video pueden ser pruebas cruciales para desmentir falsas acusaciones y frustrar intentos de extorsión.
2. Mantén la calma en caso de un accidente: Evalúa la situación antes de aceptar acuerdos inmediatos. No entregues dinero en efectivo ni te dejes intimidar por reclamos urgentes.
3. Llama a las autoridades: Siempre que sea posible, informa a la policía del incidente. Aunque algunos oficiales puedan minimizar la gravedad si no hay heridos, un reporte oficial puede ser esencial para proteger tus derechos.
4. Revisa cuidadosamente los datos de los seguros: Antes de intercambiar información, verifica que los documentos del otro conductor sean legítimos.
5. Sospecha de comportamientos inusuales: Si los involucrados intentan presionarte para abandonar el lugar o actuar rápidamente, es probable que algo no esté bien.
¿Qué hacer si sospechas de un intento de estafa?
Tomar registro fotográfico de todos los incidentes.Crédito: Shutterstock
Si crees que has sido víctima de un montachoques, sigue estos pasos:
No te marches del lugar: Permanece allí hasta que las autoridades lleguen.
Documenta todo: Toma fotografías de los daños, las placas de los vehículos y las personas involucradas.
Reporta el incidente: Si tienes evidencia como videos o fotografías, compártela con la policía. En este caso reciente, la víctima presentó cargos por “choque y huida“, fortalecidos por las pruebas grabadas.
Reflexión final
El caso expuesto en las carreteras de Estados Unidos resalta la importancia de estar atentos y preparados. Los montachoques representan una amenaza que puede tener graves consecuencias financieras y legales para las víctimas desprevenidas.
Equipar tu vehículo con herramientas como una dashcam y conocer tus derechos son pasos clave para frustrar sus planes. Ante cualquier duda o incidente, recuerda que la prudencia y la denuncia son tus mejores aliados para mantenerte a salvo en las carreteras. La información y la preparación son tus primeras líneas de defensa.
