Beware

"Some chop shop operators may steal their own vehicles. Other chop shops with exclusive clientele may have a professional steal a vehicle to order.The term 'totaled' according to insurance companies means that a vehicle is so badly damaged that the cost of building it is more than the fair market value of the vehicle. If a driver totals his car, it simply means that his carrier, instead of paying to have it repaired, will find it cheaper to have him buy a similar vehicle on the car market."

This is what Burt said.

The 'chop shop' is an illicit auto dismantler, a receiver of stolen vehicles who dissects them for resale as spare parts...A driver with a junker is less likely to want his vehicle repaired beyond a certain point than the driver of a late-model car.Several factors help increase the demand.Some drivers are reluctant to declare 'fender-benders' and make claims upon their insurance companies because of the increase in premiums that this will bring. When it's necessary to pay out of pocket for repairs, the driver will seek out the maximum savings possible.Competition between auto body shops is fierce, and one way to beat the competition on price is to use second-hand and reconditioned parts. These can be legal parts, or they can be black market parts, obtained at cut-rate from chop shops. Even without the stimulus of competition, some body shops owners are simply greedy."

>"In many cases, the investigator, police or civilian learns to spot fraudulent claims because the fraud artist develops a behavioral profile unlike that of legitimate claimants. Spotting these differences takes in several areas:>>The circumstances surrounding the claim are unusual. The claimant may have bought or increased his insurance coverage shortly before the date of the claim. There may be no police report, which is very unusual in a vehicle theft. If the claim is for material stolen from the vehicle, such as a stereo or tape deck, this is more understandable because many people believe (correctly) that the chances of solving a minor theft are very poor and not worth the trouble to report it."

This is what
Burt said.