Road rage fraud: Man faked 10 car crashes to extort hundreds of euros from drivers

A 39-year-old man is accused of pretending to be involved in at least 10 traffic incidents in order to demand money from the victim. Rambo N. allegedly faked the incidents in the areas of Utrecht, Maarssen, and Driebergen in 2023 and 2024.

The prosecutor recommended a prison sentence of seven months, with 195 days conditionally suspended. That would mean he does not have to return to jail, as he already spent more than two weeks in pretrial detention. The prosecutor also demanded 120 hours of community service, plus 40 hours remaining from a previous sentence.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, his method appeared to be the same each time. N. is said to have driven a car, scooter, or bicycle, honked, and when stopping, the victims noticed scratches on their vehicles. They hardly ever felt an actual collision. Many victims felt intimidated due to N.’s behavior, in which he demanded money with wild gestures and a loud voice. On several occasions, sums of several hundred euros were paid.

According to her, these are “very serious offenses that contribute to social unrest.” However, she also wanted to acknowledge that N. has started to get his life back on track. “If he has to go to prison, he risks losing everything he has recently built up.”

That is why she demanded a suspended prison sentence. If he reoffends, he will have to serve several months in jail, “a serious deterrent,” according to the prosecutor.

N. (39) admits to having “scratched a few cars,” but cannot remember much else from that period. He also regularly lent out his cars and scooter, he told the court in Utrecht on Thursday.

According to the suspect, he was dealing with many personal problems at the time: he had little contact with his children, his family took advantage of him, and he also used a lot of alcohol and drugs.

Several victims were shocked by N.’s story. “In hindsight, I was surprised at how easily I let myself be forced to pay an amount of 350 euros,” one of the victims told the judge. He said he was mostly angry at himself. “All in all, I’m richer in experience and poorer in illusions.”

This was not the first time that N. had appeared in court. At the beginning of last year, the summary court convicted him of vandalism and assault, and he already has several other convictions on his record.

The court will deliver its verdict on August 28.