Today, insurance crooks are picking your pocket to line theirs. Insurance fraud occurs every day, and in every province. They trick you with all the talks of insurance coverages and vanish after stealing your money. Though you can never know when you become the target of these fraudsters, you can avoid getting victimized by practicing precautionary measures. It’s not just owners of cars that can be victims of insurance fraud. Even drivers of Lorries and other vehicles can too. If you are self employed trucker or drive for a company, a site like one sure insurance can help find the best quotes to help cover you and your vehicle.
- · Be an Informed Consumer
Be wary of insurance offers from door-to-door salespeople, telephone callers or unsolicited internet advertisements. Be suspicious if the price of insurance seems much lower than the market rate. It could be a scam, or the coverage might be full of exclusions that are only discovered when you need the insurance. Make sure “free services” aren’t actually hidden in your insurance bill. Ask if the insurance company has purchased or invested in vehicle repair shops; this is a red flag. You are not required to use them, and they will not give you better service or prices — in fact, they could be worse. Guard your insurance identification number the same way you would your social security number, because once it’s stolen, criminals can use it in a scam.
- Is your agent or broker trustworthy?
Trust your money only with a licensed broker who specializes in the field of insurance business. They not only provide you with cost effective deals of insurance but also make sure you are protected from all the insurance-related frauds. The best part of having a trustworthy agent is that you can get professional advice from him about dealing with insurance offers from suspicious sources.
- Pay Only for Services You Have Received.
(Image credit: publictabs.com)
Ensure that you have not been billed for services that were not rendered or for dates on which you were not treated. Check carefully to confirm that you were not billed for more expensive procedures than were actually provided, this is a practice known as up coding. Contact your insurer immediately if you feel there are discrepancies.
- Keep the records
(Image credit: www.smead.com)
You should receive a copy of any type of insurance policy complete with endorsements and declarations specifically outlining your coverage and its limitations within a reasonable period after your purchase. If you do not receive it, question your insurer, agent or broker.
Also, never make a premium payment in cash. Pay by check or money order made out to the insurance company directly or to the agency—not to the individual agent or broker and always request a receipt.
- Install a video camera security
Let those insurance salesmen negotiate with you in a place which is under video surveillance. Insurance agents who are licensed won’t fear to tread in your office, but a fraudster surely will.
Though you cannot stop accidents from happening, you can surely prevent accidents from affecting your financial soundness with proper precautionary measures. Fraud is an attack on your finances which come in the form of accidents. There is only one way to prevent it, by being cautious and investing your finances wisely.