[COLOR=black]Please read... This is very real and can be quite devastating if it happens to you. Never give your credit card number or social security number to someone who calls you…no matter what! Legit entities will never call you asking for this information.[/COLOR]
Scott
The following alert was sent last week by:
Ted Strickland, Governor Mary Jo Hudson, Director
50 West Town Street Third Floor – Suite 300 Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 644-2658 www.insurance.ohio.gov
June 16, 2009
Re: Agent Alert: Insurance Scam Targeting Agents
Dear Insurance Professional:
Insurance agents and brokers in Nevada, California and Colorado have found themselves the target of a scam recently. According to information released, individuals posing as Department of Insurance (DOI) employees are contacting agents and brokers by telephone, and are informing them that their license may be cancelled as the result of outstanding fees / penalties. They are then told that by providing their credit card and social security numbers, the matter can be resolved over the telephone.
The Insurance Commissioners of all states are warning agents and brokers that these individuals are not employees of the DOI and are attempting to scam insurance agencies for financial gain. It is not the policy, practice or procedure for the DOI’s to request credit card or social security information over the telephone, with regards to a payment.
Trends such as this tend to travel from state to state, and the Ohio Department of Commerce has received similar complaints from individuals licensed by their organization this past spring. For this reason, the Ohio Department of Insurance wants to be proactive in warning Ohio’s insurance agents of the identified trend.
If an Ohio insurance agent receives a telephone call similar in nature, they are advised not to provide the caller with any personal information as the Ohio Department of Insurance generates written notification to all agents about fees owed, and would never contact an agent by telephone. They should also contact the Department’s Fraud & Enforcement Division, at 1‐800‐686‐1527, who will work with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter further.
Best Regards,
Mary Jo Hudson Director
Accredited by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Consumer Hotline: 1-800-686-1526 Fraud Hotline: 1-800-686-1527 OSHIIP Hotline: 1-800-686-1578 TDD Line: (614) 644-3745 (Printed in house)
Re: Insurance Agents Being Scammed - Alert!!Go to Top
This is a reason I have Identity Theft coverage from Pre-Paid Legal along with a Legal Plan. Daily monitoring and if anything crazy comes up I have access to an Attorney with the legal plan plus the restoration benefit from the ID Plan. Yes I do market the plans also.
Insurance Agents Being Scammed - Alert!!
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