Latest news with #Friedlander
Motor 1
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘That's Exactly Why:' Florida Driver Gets Stuck Behind Toyota That Won't Turn on Green Light. She Says It's an Insurance Scam
A Florida driver believes she captured footage of a commuter attempting to embroil her in a car accident scam. Snooks ( @babysnooks ) posted a TikTok showing footage of the purported hoax. Numerous commenters agreed with her evaluation of the incident. They believe the driver was, in fact, trying to ensnare her into a staged collision. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Snooks's video begins with her at a stop behind a metallic brown Toyota RAV4. The rear of the vehicle has sustained some visible impact, as its hatch is crumpled inward. Although the light is green, the RAV4 remains motionless, its right turn signal blinking intermittently. She writes in a text overlay of her video, 'In case you wonder what it's like driving in Tampa.' She isn't just calling out poor driving habits. Snooks believes she caught the RAV4 driver attempting to frame her for an accident. 'Here's another insurance scam,' she pens. She honks at the car, but it remains motionless. After sounding her horn several times, she leans on the steering wheel, emitting a constant stream of noise at the RAV4. She can be heard laughing as she continues to record. 'I don't care,' Snooks says as her video comes to a close. Her TikTok has accrued over 708,000 views as of this writing. Florida: Scam Central Gulf Live reported in October 2024 that the Sunshine State is a hotbed for con jobs. The outlet cited statistics gathered by Investor Loss Center , which placed the state as 'the country's ultimate frontier of fraud.' Trending Now 'Her Insurance Card Is on Her Phone:' Range Rover Driver Gets Rear-Ended. Then the Person Tries to 'Gaslight' Her Over Damage Texas Woman Gets Scammed Out of $30,000 During Facebook Marketplace Truck Purchase. Here's What She Overlooked According to data, there were 1,020 reports of scams for every 100,000 residents. The most common cases of fraudulent activity were rooted in what the website referred to as 'impostor' scams. There are other types of dubious claims made by Floridians as well. Florida Daily writes that the area has only seen a rise in 'staged accidents' throughout 2024, too. Mike Friedlander, a rep for the Insurance Information Institute, told the outlet that 'unscrupulous actors are increasingly capitalizing on busy roadways.' He added that they're staging 'collisions and cash in on insurance payouts, particularly in high-traffic states.' These false reports aren't just affecting insurance companies. They're impacting drivers as well. Friedlander purportedly said consumers are paying between $100 and $300 extra in annual premiums due to such scams. The same article said that Florida's increase in auto insurance fraud and subsequent premium upticks are second only to New York and California. Florida Daily quoted Friedlander as saying that multiple entities often work together in order to extricate money from insurance companies and the drivers they cover. 'These criminals are also working in collaboration with unscrupulous medical professionals,' Friedlander remarked. He said injury clinics and attorneys are often in on the con. He said these fraudulent reports amount to expenditures of around $20 billion every year. Common Collision Scams The Department of Motor Vehicles posted a list of staged accidents that con artists routinely try to lure unsuspecting drivers into. One known as the 'swoop and stop' involves multiple vehicles. 'A car will suddenly pull in front of yours and stop,' the DMV writes. 'Another vehicle will simultaneously pull up alongside your car, preventing you from swerving to avoid an accident.' The DMV also says people will brake-check drivers behind them in an attempt to get rear-ended. Scammers may also try to T-Bone your car at an intersection while phony witnesses known as "shady helpers" are in the area, the DMV reports. These witnesses will pretend to be helpers and report to officers that you were the one at fault for the accident. The DMV additionally writes that sometimes drivers will wait in front of you and then wave you around. Then, when you attempt to pass them in the same lane, they accelerate. When the cops show up, the driver will deny ever waving you ahead and try to pin the accident on you, the DMV warns. The DMV suggests immediately notifying the police in the event of an accident and gathering as much information about the other driver, damage, and conditions. Get their driver's license number, vehicle registration info, car insurance provider, and name, address, and phone number. It may be a good idea to get their general height, weight, and ethnicity. And take pictures of the damage on both vehicles along with multiple angles of the scene. The DMV further recommends never settling accidents outside of insurance. 'Don't ever settle on site with cash; always report the accident to your car insurance company, and let them know if you suspect a scam,' it writes. Experts advise that one of the best tools for combatting insurance scams is a dashboard camera, particularly one that records multiple angles. If you have to go to court to dispute false claims made by a scammer, video and audio can provide potentially indisputable evidence to counter their lies. Capitalizing on Road Rage Numerous folks who responded to Snooks' video believed the driver in front of her was indeed attempting insurance fraud. 'That's exactly why their car looks like that,' one TikToker penned. Another wrote, 'Yall must not live in bigger cities here in Florida. This is 1000% someone trying to rage bait people behind them to then possibly get money from their insurance. Very common.' Someone else who said they also live in Tampa relayed that this type of behavior is par for the course for accident scammers. 'If you aren't from Tampa you don't get an opinion,' they said. 'That is an insurance scam and it's clear. No one knows how to [expletive] drive here.' This TikToker echoed the aforementioned sentiment, penning, 'If you live in Tampa and don't drive with a dash cam you're risking it.' Motor1 has reached out to Snooks via TikTok comment for further information. We'll update this article if she responds. More From Motor1 'Instead of Paying $300:' Woman Buys Toyota. Then She Buys Keyfob for $12 Off Amazon and Programs It Herself 'Quick Sue the Sun:' Toyota RAV4 Driver Parks Car in Front of House. Then It Starts Melting Insurers uncover 300 false claims every day as motor scams increase 'I've Never Heard of This:' Customer Rents Tesla in Florida. Then Hertz Worker Says Something Shocking About Electric Vehicles Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
The smart move: How having life cover when you're young is a power play for your future
While living benefits are important, it is still important to have life cover if you have parent, child dependants or debt. Concerts, weddings, and wild adventures – your crew is making memories. What about your future? Life insurance may not be on your radar yet, but locking it in early could be the smartest financial decision you ever make. This Savings Month (July), Discovery Life shares insights on why young professionals should consider the invaluable benefits of life cover. When you're in your early 20s to mid-30s, life insurance is probably the last thing on your mind. It's easy to think, 'I'll deal with that later'; 'I already have cover through work'; or 'I'm healthy now, so I'll wait'. However, waiting for 'later' could come at a large cost to those with the majority of their future earnings still ahead of them. Do you have a plan if you're no longer able to earn a salary due to a life-changing health diagnosis or a permanent disability? How would you pay your rent or bond, for groceries, medical aid, car and family responsibilities? 'What many young people are unaware of is that life insurance offers far more than just cover that pays out when someone passes away. Life insurance is an incredibly powerful tool and can be a financial safety net if a severe illness or disability stops an individual from being able to earn an income,' says Gareth Friedlander, Discovery Life Deputy CEO. Younger than 30? You're probably underinsured A 2022 Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) Life and Disability Insurance Gap Study revealed that the average income earner aged 30 and younger is underinsured. This means they will be unable to maintain their own, or their dependents' current lifestyle if they become disabled or pass away. The average income earner aged 30 and younger earns a little over R10,000 per month, but typically needs more than R2.7 million in disability cover to maintain their standard of living post claim. On average, they only have disability cover of around R1 million, leaving an insurance gap of R1.7 million. 'The insurance gap for South Africans under 30 is concerning,' says Friedlander. 'Having holistic life cover in place that includes income protection, severe illness cover, and disability cover when you're young is one of the smartest things you can do.' How living benefits are an insurance lifeline for young people 'Along with paying out an insured amount to your loved ones if you pass away, life insurance can also protect you against financial risk if something unpredictable happens while you're alive,' explains Friedlander. The three main 'living benefits' are income protection, severe illness cover, and disability cover. Income protection – This benefit pays you a regular income if you are unable to work due to injury, illness or disability. Severe illness cover – Severe illness cover pays out a lump sum based on the severity level of the illness and can be used to cover costs such as treatment costs and lifestyle modifications. Disability cover – Disability cover pays out a lump sum if you become disabled. It can help cover any associated costs such as buying or maintaining specialised medical equipment, lifestyle modifications or settling debt. Alarmingly, severe illnesses like cancer are increasingly affecting younger people. Over the past 30 years, cancer rates in the G20 nations (which includes South Africa) have increased faster for 25 to 29-year-olds than any other age group – by 22% between 1990 and 2019. This is according to the Financial Times, which analysed data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Discovery Life's Claims Experience for the 2024 calendar year shows that for severe illness claims, cancer was the leading claim cause at 41%, with heart and artery claims next at 16%, followed by nervous system claims at 13%. Of the severe illness cancer claims, skin cancer was the top cause among men aged 40 and younger (44%), while breast cancer accounted for 43% of cancer claims among women aged 40 and younger. Cancer was also the largest cause of disability claims in this age group (29%). Friedlander adds that two in five income protection claims were paid to clients aged 40 or younger in 2024. One in four of these were for permanent conditions. However, these permanent claims made up 67% of the total rand amount paid out. This highlights the value of income protection, especially for permanent claims where these clients will receive an income going forward. Musculoskeletal claims make up almost one-third of these claims and include, for example, injuries to or surgery for the back and neck, ankles, hands, etc. While living benefits are important, it is still important to have life cover where people have parent or child dependents or debt. Of the death claims in 2024 for those aged 40 and younger, motor vehicle accidents (18%) were the largest cause, followed by heart and artery conditions (16%), and then cancer and trauma, each contributing 14%. For these younger ages, 42% of life cover claims were due to unnatural deaths, highlighting the uncertainty of life. 'Taken altogether, these insights highlight the growing importance of holistic life cover for young people that includes living benefits,' notes Friedlander. The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper your premiums 'Young people also need to know that life insurance premiums are mostly determined by age and health. The younger and healthier you are when you apply, the cheaper your cover is,' explains Friedlander. When you take out life insurance at younger ages, your risk is lower, and you can spread the payments over a longer term. This means that your premiums at earlier ages subsidise your premiums later, resulting in more sustainable premiums at older ages. Waiting to take out cover when you're older, or after you're diagnosed with a chronic condition or severe illness, means higher premiums or potential exclusions from cover entirely. 'Not only does getting life cover when you're young protect your future self and your loved ones, but it also sets a solid foundation for long-term financial wellbeing. Getting life cover when you're young isn't just about planning for the worst. It's about making a confident move that secures your financial journey and your ability to protect what's most important to you. Future you will thank you,' concludes Friedlander. Ready to future-proof your financial plan? Learn more about Discovery Life's suite of protective cover and benefits that reward healthy living and safeguard your financial future.
Otago Daily Times
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
All in the family
PHOTO: SUPPLIED Cromwell's Gardner family recently visited Queenstown to check out a special 1960s photograph hanging in a local gallery. The resort's Starkwhite gallery is exhibiting originals by renowned New Zealand photographer, the late Marti Friedlander, including an image of two Southland shearers taking a smoko break. The one with the fag is the late Richard Spencer Gardner, known as 'Spencer', who'd dropped by his mate Angus McNabb Fawkner's nearby farm to give him a hand. Pictured below the image are, from left, Spencer's granddaughter Emma, wife Edith and son Richard who all live in Cromwell — Spencer himself died in 2023. Friedlander shot the photo when she spotted the pair while driving down a Southland road in 1969. Meanwhile, another recent gallery visitor was part-time Queenstowner Wendy Hannah, who was delighted to see her grandmother Pirihita Pateriki in a photograph Friedlander took of six kuia (elderly Maori women) during the Turangawaewae marae celebrations in 1971. Gallery director Kelly Carmichael says she's "amazed at how many descendants of Friedlander's original subjects are coming out of the woodwork, and humbled at how emotional and grateful they are to see the original photographs".
09-07-2025
- Business
What flood insurance does and does not cover
SEATTLE -- Though natural disasters cycle across seasons and regions in the U.S., it's often a shocking discovery for property owners how expansive and expensive flood and water damage can be when a major storm devastates their homes, businesses and communities. That's because oftentimes insurance doesn't cover what the policyholder thinks it does — or thinks it should. The disappointing surprise is that while the standard home insurance policy does cover fire and wind damage, even good property insurance typically doesn't cover things like flooding and earthquakes, which usually require a special and separate policy for each. Here are the things to know about flood insurance. Most people who have flood insurance are required to have it. Although many property owners have the option of purchasing flood insurance, it is mandated for government-backed mortgages that sit in areas that the Federal Emergency Management Agency deems highest risk. Many banks require it in high-risk zones, too. But most private insurance companies don't carry flood insurance, leaving the National Flood Insurance Program run by FEMA as the primary provider. Congress created the federal flood insurance program more than 50 years ago when many private insurers stopped offering policies in high-risk areas. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center has an online tool to check your area. FEMA notes even a 1% chance of flooding is considered high risk because it amounts to a 1-in-4 chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Homeowners in high-risk areas who should have it sometimes decide not to get it. Someone who pays off their mortgage can drop their flood insurance once it's not required. Or if they purchase a house or mobile home with cash, they may not opt for it at all. The rest of us are just rolling the dice, even though experts have long warned that flooding can happen just about anywhere because flood damage isn't just water surging and seeping into the land — it's also water from banks, as well as mudflow and torrential rains. Mark Friedlander, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group, said only about 6% of U.S. households have a flood policy — primarily in the costal areas prone to hurricanes. That rate has remained steady in recent years despite the increasing frequency of severe flooding events, including in areas that are not formally considered by the government to be high risk. 'Lack of flood coverage is the largest insurance gap across the country,' Friedlander said in an email. 'Ninety percent of U.S. natural disasters involve flooding and flooding can occur just about anywhere it rains.' Even if a homeowner does have flood insurance, the coverage may not be enough to make a policyholder whole again. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program only covers up to $250,000 for single-family homes and $100,000 for contents. Renters can get up to $100,000 for contents, and commercial flood insurance will cover up to $500,000. There are concerns that such flooding coverage limits are not robust enough, especially at a time when climate change is making strong hurricanes even stronger and making storms in general wetter, slower and more prone to intensifying rapidly. And what typically happens to the people without flood insurance in a major storm is that they can try to recover some money from their standard home insurance but may end up in a fight to determine what damage is or isn't wind versus rain, or even 'wind-driven rain.' Don Hornstein, an insurance law expert at the University of North Carolina, said the line between wind and water is a thin but very clear line that technical experts can determine. Should there be a proverbial tie, the law favors the insurance company. 'If the house was simultaneously destroyed by flood and, concurrently (by) wind, it's not covered by private insurance,' Hornstein said.
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
What flood insurance does and does not cover
SEATTLE (AP) — Though natural disasters cycle across seasons and regions in the U.S., it's often a shocking discovery for property owners how expansive and expensive flood and water damage can be when a major storm devastates their homes, businesses and communities. That's because oftentimes insurance doesn't cover what the policyholder thinks it does — or thinks it should. The disappointing surprise is that while the standard home insurance policy does cover fire and wind damage, even good property insurance typically doesn't cover things like flooding and earthquakes, which usually require a special and separate policy for each. Here are the things to know about flood insurance. Most people who have flood insurance are required to have it. Although many property owners have the option of purchasing flood insurance, it is mandated for government-backed mortgages that sit in areas that the Federal Emergency Management Agency deems highest risk. Many banks require it in high-risk zones, too. But most private insurance companies don't carry flood insurance, leaving the National Flood Insurance Program run by FEMA as the primary provider. Congress created the federal flood insurance program more than 50 years ago when many private insurers stopped offering policies in high-risk areas. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center has an online tool to check your area. FEMA notes even a 1% chance of flooding is considered high risk because it amounts to a 1-in-4 chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Homeowners in high-risk areas who should have it sometimes decide not to get it. Someone who pays off their mortgage can drop their flood insurance once it's not required. Or if they purchase a house or mobile home with cash, they may not opt for it at all. The rest of us are just rolling the dice, even though experts have long warned that flooding can happen just about anywhere because flood damage isn't just water surging and seeping into the land — it's also water from banks, as well as mudflow and torrential rains. Mark Friedlander, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group, said only about 6% of U.S. households have a flood policy — primarily in the costal areas prone to hurricanes. That rate has remained steady in recent years despite the increasing frequency of severe flooding events, including in areas that are not formally considered by the government to be high risk. 'Lack of flood coverage is the largest insurance gap across the country,' Friedlander said in an email. 'Ninety percent of U.S. natural disasters involve flooding and flooding can occur just about anywhere it rains.' Even if a homeowner does have flood insurance, the coverage may not be enough to make a policyholder whole again. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program only covers up to $250,000 for single-family homes and $100,000 for contents. Renters can get up to $100,000 for contents, and commercial flood insurance will cover up to $500,000. There are concerns that such flooding coverage limits are not robust enough, especially at a time when climate change is making strong hurricanes even stronger and making storms in general wetter, slower and more prone to intensifying rapidly. And what typically happens to the people without flood insurance in a major storm is that they can try to recover some money from their standard home insurance but may end up in a fight to determine what damage is or isn't wind versus rain, or even 'wind-driven rain.' Don Hornstein, an insurance law expert at the University of North Carolina, said the line between wind and water is a thin but very clear line that technical experts can determine. Should there be a proverbial tie, the law favors the insurance company. 'If the house was simultaneously destroyed by flood and, concurrently (by) wind, it's not covered by private insurance,' Hornstein said.
