Page 3 | Just had police at door

Auntieobem · 2023-02-26T10:44:02+00:00

Saying that a note was left on a car saying that it had been hit my my DPs car. They looked over the car and said there was no evidence of any accident damage. Had no witness details, didn't even have a date of alleged accident. It allegedly happened somewhere where DP sometimes parks. DP denies and knowledge. Anyone have this happen to them? I assume it won't go any further?

Weallhaveavoice · 26/02/2023 13:38

RudsyFarmer · 26/02/2023 12:47

Actually that’s a bloody good scam thinking about it. You damage someone’s car in a car park. Are seen to be writing a note by others and attaching it to the persons windscreen. Jobs a goodun…. Except you write down a different number plate of the same colour car that’s also in the car park.

Or just a random phone number I suppose.

NumberTheory · 26/02/2023 13:42

Poisonrunningthroughmyveins · 26/02/2023 13:07

A caution is you saying you are guilty and them telling you off

Well I never. the whole way through the 3 police interactions (first home visit, second home visit then 3 interaction where I had to attend the police station) I repeatedly said that I didn’t do it. At no time did they say I had the right to refuse a caution. I certain didn’t pleads guilt or admit guilt in any way. Now I’m even more annoyed!

It may not have been an official caution that gets recorded. Sometimes police officers verbally warn someone about something and may use the word caution and the person they are warning thinks it’s an official caution (police may even tell them they are being cautioned) but it isn’t official, it means absolutely nothing, isn’t recorded anywhere and can’t be brought up in the future should you ever actually get in trouble.

PriamFarrl · 26/02/2023 13:49

RudsyFarmer · 26/02/2023 12:47

Actually that’s a bloody good scam thinking about it. You damage someone’s car in a car park. Are seen to be writing a note by others and attaching it to the persons windscreen. Jobs a goodun…. Except you write down a different number plate of the same colour car that’s also in the car park.

Especially if you’ve got a fairly common car, or car colour. Just look for another white Nissan and write down their number.

blameless · 26/02/2023 13:52

1WomanWonder · 26/02/2023 13:10

OP sounds like a scam.

@Poisonrunningthroughmyveins

"The MoJ Guidance states that “The simple caution scheme is designed to provide a means of dealing with low-level, mainly first-time, offending without a prosecution.”

The following are pre-requisites:

The offender has admitted the offence;
The offender is willing to accept the caution;
There must be sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction if the offender were to be prosecuted;
The offence is not one where a prosecution is required in the public interest.
Simple cautions form part of the offender’s criminal record. They may be referred to in future legal proceedings and may be revealed as part of a criminal record check"

I believe there is no right to appeal but you might be able to complain?

Otherwise, have a look at your copy of whatever you signed to accept the caution (Simple Caution Form?).

Thank you, this is useful. My understanding is that you are admitting criminal guilt, but unlike a conviction, it can never become spent.
Many young people are 'encouraged' to accept a caution because they have been in a cell for a long time while there is insufficient evidence for the police to pursue a conviction.
From an insurance perspective, insurers appear to be able to profit from accidents and claims, five years ago I was hit from behind. Our insurers wanted to give us £1,000 and write-off the car, the other driver's insurers found it more economical to; provide a courtesy car, repair the car (albeit making it Cat C) AND give us £1,000. It was counterintuitive that the other insurers would put more effort into looking after us, but I'm guessing that's one of the reasons that the 'crash for cash' scams never seem to get dealt with effectively.

NumberTheory · 26/02/2023 13:53

oakleaffy · 26/02/2023 12:33

That’s interesting.
I had a caution last century as a young person for cannabis-
I had no idea I could have “ Refused” it.
I mentioned it to a workplace ( they did enhanced CRB checks) and they wanted to know in advance of any police issues.
The caution didn’t show up, maybe as so long ago?

Show quote history

Cautions only started being recorded centrally in the (late?) 1990s. Before that they were often just written down on a card index at the local police station that issued them. Little or no coordination. If you got caught again by an officer from a different force, or even just a different station, they might never know you’d been cautioned before.

Treetopviews · 26/02/2023 13:55

Poisonrunningthroughmyveins · 26/02/2023 10:54

Yes this happened to me.
Supermarket carpark.
I had no clue what they were on about but my insurance paid out and I got a caution on record. I’m still so mad about it several years on. Absolutely not a scratch on my car and no evidence of any kind of impact at all but I was still cautioned, and the policeman was hateful.

That makes literally no sense. Why would you accept s caution if no evidence and you didn’t do it and why would the insurer pay out if you said you didn’t and no evidence.

in noth instances, the caution and the insurer, both would only occur with evidence or an admission

SmileyClare · 26/02/2023 13:59

Treetopviews · 26/02/2023 13:55

That makes literally no sense. Why would you accept s caution if no evidence and you didn’t do it and why would the insurer pay out if you said you didn’t and no evidence.

in noth instances, the caution and the insurer, both would only occur with evidence or an admission

Show quote history

Sometimes as part of the scam, the claimant will produce a “witness”

It happened to me- someone took my reg plate when I was parked in tescos and accused me of smashing into their car.

My insurance company have been next to useless in defending me. It’s infuriating.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 26/02/2023 14:00

Poisonrunningthroughmyveins · 26/02/2023 12:36

Quite!

@Nimbostratus100 I argued it, insisted I had nothing to do with it and suggested someone was trying to scam my insurance but they wouldn’t have it. I had no option and I certainly didn’t ‘plead guilty’ @lljkk

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Yes you cab refuse a caution... As thus means you're saying you're guilty!

purpledalmation · 26/02/2023 14:02

The person who did hit the car saw that people had seen the collision and would have reported it, so he got out and wrote a note but used a nearby number plate instead. Or a 'helpful' passer-by had got the wrong number plate

purpledalmation · 26/02/2023 14:03

Supermarkets have cctv but they are not focused all the time on one area.

bobdylannumber1 · 26/02/2023 14:04

I had this police called said I had reversed into a car and driven off at my local sports field, on a certain day.police had photo of other car broken lights,looked at mine no damage. I said im there 4 times a week and wouldn't do that when I'm up every week. He went off and called me a week later said was a witness I said im there 4 times a week and id checked my whats app and I was at dd match that evening and why would the person not approach me, I asked did hr not think it was dodgy.He said witness is a solicitor I said I didnt care it wasn't me and I'd go to court. He said he didn't care he'd better things to be doing and he'd be in touch
this summer it will be 2 years so never heard anymore, it was definitely someone pulling a fast one in my case. But I was worried sick.

VioletladyGrantham · 26/02/2023 14:04

Nimbostratus100 · 26/02/2023 11:08

a caution is a quick and easy short cut to a guilty plea, without the court costs and consequences

and it remains on your record just as long, sometimes longer

All cautions are life-long which is why they will turn up on a DBS 20 years later.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 26/02/2023 14:05

Are you sure they were really police? Could be part of the scam.

Katherine1985 · 26/02/2023 14:28

Happened to some friends of ours who were living and working in Rome. They were able to prove they were at home (in Greece) when the supposed incident occurred

334bu · 26/02/2023 14:29

Got a phone call at work to say my car was in an accident. Turns out witness had got partial number and make of car and they were just checking all possible vehicles in area. I was stage managing a school show at time of accident but I still had to go in past police station to show them my car.

ManiacSpaniel · 26/02/2023 14:29

also happened to us - we got a dashcam camera afterwards so we never have to go through it again. Took insurance company almost a year to clear us and in the meantime, had to pay higher premiums and declare it as an open incident. It's absolutely disgraceful. When we were cleared, I asked whether the person who had accused us would be charged with fraud by the police but was met with deaf ears!

Crumpleton · 26/02/2023 14:33

Ketanne · 26/02/2023 12:04

Happened to me in a supermarket car park. I can tell you what happened now - I am almost certain it was the man staring and making faces at me because he had to wait for me to finish pulling out (slowly and safely to avoid any bumps!) before he flew out his space at speed.

The police came to my door a few days later, said a lady had reported me as a "witness" had left a note on her car with my reg, make, model and a description of me!! The officer said he has already inspected my car (parked outside) and saw no signs of damage. He did say he wouldn't be taking it further as the police are only involved if it's a criminal matter (ie if I hit her car, knew what I did and drove away anyway), and that it was for the insurance to sort out.

In the end, my insurer said they were going to defend it, and the burden was on the other side as they wouldn't even consider a pay out without solid evidence not only that I hit her car, but that I was even there. They couldn't provide anything at all apart from an invoice for the damage, insurer sent out an inspector as a preemptive measure who confirmed no corresponding damage, and it was closed because the other side couldn't prove a thing.

Annoying because it did drag on for almost a year, and I had to declare it as an open incident when I renewed, which temporarily increased my premium.

Surely in cases like this and especially if it's on the rise there's a case of fraud to be answered against the people that are so called witnesses.

Hawkins003 · 26/02/2023 14:36

At a guess seems someone thought they saw an accident and copied your dp number plate

Expiresattheweekend · 26/02/2023 14:39

Seeline · 26/02/2023 11:04

@Nimbostratus100 can you refuse a caution?! How does that work - I assume the police don't just say OK, doesn't really matter 😁

A caution is like a negotiation. If you accept a caution police won't take any further action. If you don't there's the threat of having to go to court, but if there's no evidence that won't happen.

A caution goes down as a crime resolved in the police stats....

Xol · 26/02/2023 14:40

DSIs had something like this, alleging she'd been involved in a minor accident but hadn't stopped. It was on her usual route to work and the description given was her car colour and reg number; however, probably fortunately, it happened when she was on holiday and there were plenty of witnesses to the fact that she and the car were 200 miles away at the relevant time.

IWineAndDontDine · 26/02/2023 14:44

LakeTiticaca · 26/02/2023 11:15

I didn't think the police got involved in minor bumps with no casualties?
Don't they have anything better to do like investigating actual criminal activity?

🙄 Guess you will be the one complaining when something of yours gets damaged and nothing gets done about it

SmileyClare · 26/02/2023 14:45

ManiacSpaniel · 26/02/2023 14:29

also happened to us - we got a dashcam camera afterwards so we never have to go through it again. Took insurance company almost a year to clear us and in the meantime, had to pay higher premiums and declare it as an open incident. It's absolutely disgraceful. When we were cleared, I asked whether the person who had accused us would be charged with fraud by the police but was met with deaf ears!

Yes that sounds almost identical to the scam I’m a victim of.

I’m also having to pay elevated car insurance premiums and have to declare this as an “open case” to all insurers. Mine has dragged on for over a year despite the claimant having no evidence against me.

I feel really fucked over.

Original poster

Auntieobem · 26/02/2023 14:48

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 26/02/2023 14:05

Are you sure they were really police? Could be part of the scam.

Yes, definitely a policeman, uniformed and in a police car which had the neighbour's curtains twitching.

OP posts:

Babyroobs · 26/02/2023 14:53

Poisonrunningthroughmyveins · 26/02/2023 10:54

Yes this happened to me.
Supermarket carpark.
I had no clue what they were on about but my insurance paid out and I got a caution on record. I’m still so mad about it several years on. Absolutely not a scratch on my car and no evidence of any kind of impact at all but I was still cautioned, and the policeman was hateful.

Same happened to my ds. He swears blind he did not hit anyone's car in the supermarket. It has affected his insurance every time we renew.

ManiacSpaniel · 26/02/2023 14:57

@SmileyClare it's absolutely infuriating, you have my sympathy. Of course you never get a refund of the higher costs you pay!