I'm asking you guys and gals since I know some of you have insurance experience and I'm getting concerned. This story is weird.

A week ago today I got a phone call that I let go to voicemail as I didn't recognize the number, and was at work at the time. I got a voice mail from my insurance company, (Geico) asking me to call them back concerning my claim. As far as I knew I didn't HAVE a claim. The first thing that came to mind was my 18-year old I loaned my car too.

So I called them back. The guy took my claim number and asked about my "accident". I told him I hadn't been in an accident. He asked me if merging onto the freeway and drifting a lane over, striking another car "rang a bell", on May 20 2017. I told him, "No" and I asked which car we were talking about. He said ,"the 1987 Volvo". I told him I don't own a 1987 Volvo. He asked if I ever had. I told him yes. He asked if it was ever covered under this policy, I told him, I don't think so. I told him I had gotten rid of the car around November 2012. The car ran horribly with 326K miles on it and was all around worn out, so I bought a Honda Pilot, November 15th of 2012 and quit driving that car.

Here's where it gets kind of strange. He asked if I knew what had happened to the car and I told him yes, I had junked it and sold it to an acquaintance. The person I sold it to owned a junk yard and I had sold him junk cars probably 3-4 times in previous years,(our wives and kids were close so I know this guy more than just "in passing"). While down at his yard shortly after that,(picking up parts) he showed me and my sons the 19987 Volvo crushed down to about 10 inches.

So:

I know I junked the car and Geico's investigation showed that. I also physically saw the car crushed and having been junked the license plates were surrendered to the CA. DMV at that time.

So how did someone"revive" the car for the mystery accident? If you bring it back from junk here you need verification of VIN, brake and lamp inspection etc. It was crushed as well. How did whoever did this scam know that I owned a 1987 Volvo and come up with a VIN number. How did this person know to call Geico especially since I never had that car insured through them?

I have a lot of questions for Geico like where the accident happened as I lived in Santa Cruz when I junked the car and have lived in Modesto now for almost 3 years. How did whoever did this have my driver's license number and all the car and insurance info?

Finally, this may or may not be related but the first week of April I got a rejection letter from a credit card company. It was a card I never applied for and was rejected partly because personal info like social couldn't be verified. Naturally I knew I was at risk so I joined Lifelock immediately. I know some people think that's useless but it was cheap insurance.

Geico called today and said they were rejecting the claim as they showed the car junked years ago and it was never on my current policy. Will I now be sued by the other "driver" or their insurance company since Geico is declining the claim? Any help, insight or ideas would be great.

So I assume you did not fill out the release of liability form and send in to DMV when you got rid of the car. That is the very reason for completing the form timely. You could try to take all your paperwork to DMV to see if you can get a release completed. Worth a try as assume this happens frequently on non completion. Best of luck.

I can't help you with you with your insurance question but I would pull your credit file and review everything you can for as far back as you can. Review all your bank charges and your credit card charges. Hopefully nothing is there but it can't hurt to look. Good luck with this.

As far as I understood if the car is junked it wouldn't need a release of liability, it's off the road and junked at that point. I've had my OWN business junking cars for around 20 years and have never run into this. As far as I understand, once junked the DMV doesn't care especially if THEY have a report showing this. As I stated they would have had to revive it from junk which would have required a TITLE or a lot of paperwork reviving it.

Thank You for your input. I appreciate ALL insight.


EDIT: And the people reviving it from junk would have had to have shown an ID with picture on it to complete the transaction. This is all kinda weird. I can see cutting a VIN number out of another car if it was newer,(and more value than a junked 87 Volvo).

Sorry, double post

Sounds like someone hacked the DMV database and are using it to scam.

On the other hand, if they do sue you, you'll know who's pushing this scam and can sic the police on them. However, I doubt they'd be so stupid as to expose themselves like that.

Ask Geico to send you PAPER copies of all pertenant documentation of the incident. Washington DOL requires notification of release of interest within 15 days. Start compiling a paper trail of the story and timeline. Don't get caught flatfooted and have to scramble.

When i sold the legacy and the car was leaving the driveway the first thing i did was go in the house and file the sale/ROI report online. The second call was canceling the insurance and notifying the company of the sale. 3 days later the buyer showed up at my door wanting his money back and to return the car to me. "It's yours now, you have 12 days left to change the title to your name. No do overs. End of story. Goodbye".

Good idea. A paper trail might help you figure out when and where things went sideways, especially if you need to send in proof to a credit bureau.

Where is the license plate? Was it still attached to the car? Your insurance carrier info can be pulled from the plate or the VIN. I'd request that your carrier provide you the contact number from the other carrier, if one is involved.

Plates were surrendered to the DMV when the car was junked

Ok the only thing I got out of your post was you moved from Santa Cruz to Modesto......

It sounds like a scam of some type. I would talk to an attorney before this goes any further.

The Volvo might be more public knowledge than anyone has admitted.

Back in 2000 I bought a 73 914 at a tow yard auction. Got the title in my name at my Parents address, never registered. Pulled the 2.0 and sold the roller to a customer of the local conversion company less than a year later.
For the past few years I've been getting messages left from a dealer wanting to buy that car on my Parents home phone number.
So somewhere is a database available that still has that car attached to my Parents home address. Oddly, or embarrassingly, my 72, 74, and 75s are not mentioned, but I bought those private party yet were titled and 2 registered.