To get the most bang for one’s buck, many look for auto insurance quotes. Insurance costs an average of $1,553 per year, or $129.42 per month, which is a lot of money for some families but not others. Getting a favorable deal is the problem. If you’re looking for cheap auto insurance, be wary of scammers that offer unbelievable deals before stealing your money.
Be wary of automobile insurance scams if you are seeking the best deal, are one of the 12.6% of drivers without insurance and are looking for a new policy, or are both. To help you stay secure when searching for affordable coverage, we have compiled a list of some common cheap auto insurance scams.
Telltale Signs of Robo Calls
If you receive any kind of solicitation via robocall, you should probably disregard it as fraud. Criminals frequently use robocalls in hopes of reaching naive consumers who may fall for a seemingly legitimate-sounding deal. They will then collect sensitive information from the caller, which they will either use for identity theft or demand payment in order to access their bank data.
Be cautious about giving up any financial or personal details in response to robocalls. Actually, you should end the call right away. Check the offer’s legitimacy by going to the company’s official website, finding a contact number, and contacting them that way. Doing so will ensure that you are dealing with a real representative of the organization, who can verify the authenticity of the information delivered during the initial conversation.
Spoof Agents
“Ghost brokers” or “fake agents” are imposters who pose as insurance brokers but aren’t on the payroll. Most of the time, they communicate with humans via digital means, such as websites or clicked advertisements. However, some may make unsolicited calls to potential victims. They often advertise incredibly low prices in an attempt to entice customers before they commit fraud.
This con typically proceeds as follows: This con artist claims to have worked with a real insurance company to construct a policy, and they’ll even provide paperwork that appears to be official. If the car owner continues, the phony agency will start taking money each month that they say goes toward insurance. Problematically, the policy doesn’t exist in reality. No one is protecting the driver, and the con artist is walking away with the cash. Policyholders often remain unaware of the policy’s authenticity until an incident occurs and they need to file a claim. Then they discover they are uninsured.
Unbelievable Discounts
Policies with prices that appear excessively low should typically be avoided. In spite of the policy’s existence after enrollment, the coverage it provides may be significantly inadequate to meet the state’s basic standards. This means that even with insurance, you may not be covered for a negligent accident.
Techniques to Stay Away from Frauds
Scams offering cheap auto insurance aren’t very difficult to avoid. Do not respond to any unsolicited calls or emails; they are likely frauds. Avoid falling for scam robocalls or spam emails offering cheap auto insurance by hanging up or not responding, and instead contact the company directly through their website (rather than clicking on a link) to verify its legitimacy.
Before doing business with any unknown insurance agent or firm that offers cheap rates that you come across online, investigate. Check their affiliations with other businesses, read reviews (not just on their website) to see how agents and insurers work, and verify their legitimacy.
Lastly, be wary of policies that offer a price that is substantially lower than the average, whether locally, nationally, or in your state. Prices that are significantly lower than the average often suggest deception or extremely poor quality of coverage. Therefore, be skeptical of dramatically low quotes.