The fake car insurance scam is spreading across the web. It's spreading rapidly, fueled by the tight budgets of Italian families, burdened by declining purchasing power and rising costs. According to estimates by consumer associations and research centers, there are as many as 1,5 million fake policies that advertise... serious danger Drivers. Unaware of the scam, with a few exceptions. Unwary? Always.
Woe betide those who give in to temptation, or more simply to carelessnessIf the deception is discovered by the police, and we are unwitting victims, we can even consider ourselves lucky. fines Violations of the mandatory car insurance policy are extremely severe: a fine ranging from €848 to €3.396, license suspension, and vehicle seizure until investigations are completed and a new, valid policy is purchased. But in the event of an accident, the real pain comes: fully responsible Everything we and our vehicle cause, to property and people. Our finances could collapse completely, and the criminal code lies in wait. This could mean the likely end of our chaotic careers as drivers, or motorcyclists.
What to do? How can we avoid falling into a trap that, according to estimates, generates a criminal turnover that far exceeds 600 million euros a year? How can we defend ourselves, given that we ourselves are not part of the deception by indulging our criminal nature? Consumer associations, "official" insurance companies themselves, and just recently, the...Ivass, the Institute for Insurance Supervision. Its effective tabbed reminders prepared by Enrico Coratti, Head of the Supervision Division of the Institute and released during the latest webinar on insurance fraud organised by Ania e Consumers Association. Let's try to draw a self-defense strategy for next steps, simulating what can happen and how to deal with possible deceptions.
What is a fake policy and how is the scam constructed?
The fake policy is accompanied by seemingly complete documentation that simulates A fully legitimate policy. Sometimes it even bears the name of a genuine, certified insurance company. But it's all manipulated, faked, falsified. The work of the criminal ingenuity of someone who, in many cases, poses as an "intermediary" or the owner of an insurance agency with a brand that often replicates or mimics that of a major insurance company.
To gain our trust and our money, insurance scammers can reach us in many ways. Three main ones are: Phishing via the web, when we surf the net looking for the best insurance policy to save us the most; phishing via email, when we carelessly pay attention to an email from a scammer; advertisements distributed or printed on posters posted in transit areas, or sometimes even placed in some publication whose editors have not adequately checked the authenticity of the source.
Sequential checks to avoid falling into traps
The first step is to verify the primary source of the proposal. If it's physically a commission-based intermediary, let's ask for the details. essential elements either by the same intermediary, checking that it is regularly registered with the RUI, the Register of Insurance Intermediaries, both of the company with which we insure ourselves: name and brand, telephone numbers and website, email address and above all PEC (certified electronic mail). We therefore expect to complete the procedure only through a official channel and not just by using SMS, WhatsApp, or an email address not directly addressed to the insurance company, or at least to one of its authorized agencies whose contact details we have carefully verified.
Let's not stop here. At this point, before starting to finalize our insurance contract, let's consult the IVASS website by accessing thelist of companies Italian and foreign insurance companies authorized to operate in Italy. If the company offering us a golden deal doesn't appear, we immediately abandon the offer. If it does, we move on to the next step: we cross-reference the offer we're looking at with a similar one, perhaps from the same insurance company, which we can select through one of the leading Italian portals offering this service. For example, segugio.it or subito.it. If the price difference in our favor is significant, sign of possible scam, perhaps with the simulation of a “clone” company, twin but fake, everything is there.
We use the same weapons against web deceptions
However, we consult our verification by accessing the Internet site of the insurance that is proposed to us, which must exist and must be preceded in the web address (URL) by the suffix https: and not by the simple http:, now outdated and in disuse because it is incompatible with the most basic security criteria Navigation. So far, so good, and we haven't had to give up? Let's continue with the checks: on the company's website, we access the direct quote calculation function, which must always be available. We enter the required data and simulate the requested premium, checking if it doesn't exist. obvious deviations compared to what was proposed to us.
Further sign of scam, with the obligation of relative caution: we absolutely refuse to purchase our policy through payment methods untraceable or even in cash, or by topping up a prepaid card (it is forbidden but this also happens), or even with a bank transfer directed to an IBAN that corresponds to a natural person or a company that does not correspond to the checks we have carried out.
The final check that is worth doing anyway
Do we think all these repeated checks have reassured us, and do we take out our insurance policy, paying the due amount, and receiving the relevant documentation? At that point, it's still worth carrying out a final, absolutely crucial check. Once the policy is officially active, we verify its actual existence, just as law enforcement would do in the event of an inspection, by consulting the Ministry of Transport's dedicated website. “The motorist's portal”The game, hopefully a winning one, is up.
