US Scammers Made Rs 70 Lakh Staging Fake Car Crashes, Viral Video Exposed Them

Several drivers were allegedly targeted in staged crashes on New York's busy highways, with the fraudsters securing more than $80,000 (Rs 7,649,234) in insurance payouts before a viral video helped authorities uncover the fraud, according to New York Post. Jaime Huiracocha, 53, and Victor Murillo, 34, will respectively serve at least one year and two years in prison after pleading guilty to insurance fraud charges, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Thursday.

According to The Post, Katz credited the TikTok clip, of a Honda Civic brazenly backing into another vehicle on the Belt Parkway after a near-miss collision - shown to her by her 15-year-old son with jumpstarting the investigation that uncovered three crashes staged by Huiracocha and Murillo.

"This original video, which happened to have been the third incident, not the first, was really key in us identifying, investigating and making sure we had the right people," she told reporters."We worked backwards from that viral video."

Brooklyn men, Murillo and Huiracocha, have been convicted for staging crashes on New York highways for insurance payouts.

Watch the video here: 

Via the Queens DA's Office:

Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo have been sentenced for their roles in staging three car crashes on New York City highways and seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries.

Huiracocha orchestrated the collisions by recruiting… pic.twitter.com/aLaSCkazbw

— Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) August 27, 2026

Prosecutors said Murillo would brake suddenly to cause rear-end collisions while Huiracocha followed in another car and coordinated the crashes. After each crash, Murillo would switch seats while accomplices covered the rear window with plastic bags, then slip into a getaway car as others faked injuries, with dashcam footage showing them holding their heads, as per the New York Post report.

The scheme began on August 24, 2024 on the Belt Parkway when Murillo, in a Honda Civic, cut off a 47-year-old woman, netting $79,000. A second crash on October 3, 2024 involved a tractor-trailer and yielded $5,000. A third crash, which went viral, showed Murillo reversing into a 31-year-old woman's car.

New York State Department of Financial Services Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow said: "Insurance fraud leads to higher costs for all drivers and is a strain on New York's insurance system. Fraud enforcement is part of DFS's continued work to enact Governor Hochul's comprehensive plan to lower insurance costs for New Yorkers. I thank the Governor, Queens District Attorney, and the New York Police Department for their partnership."

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: "Staging auto collisions on our roadways puts countless drivers at serious risk and exploits insurance coverage meant to protect people when they truly need it. Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo only cared about the thousands of dollars they stood to make from this dangerous and illegal insurance fraud scheme. Thanks to the hard work of our investigators, these criminals drove themselves straight into the hands of justice, and today's sentencing confirm that. I thank the Queens District Attorney's Office and Governor Hochul for continuing to prioritize the safety of New Yorkers."

Two other accused, Maikel Martinez and Ivon Matus-Martinez, pleaded guilty. Governor Kathy Hochul said staged crashes have tripled in five years, with 1,700 cases in 2023.