Common Auto Insurance Scams
Insurance scams can come from an actual insurance agent or a fake agent. These individuals may offer you car insurance at extremely low rates or car insurance you don’t want or need in order to inflate their commissions.
1. The Robo-Call Scam
You’re sitting at home when your phone rings. When you answer, it’s a voice explaining that you’ve been chosen to receive incredibly cheap car insurance due to your impeccable driving record. All you have to do is provide your personal information.
We shouldn’t be the one to tell you this but just in case, if someone calls you and wants your personal information, you should always hang up!
2. The Fake Agent

You’re looking for cheap car insurance, and you come across an agent’s ad for ultra-cheap auto insurance. You click on the ad, and it takes you to the insurance agent’s website where you blindly apply for the coverage and agree to pay a certain amount each month for that coverage.
If the agent is fake, your premiums are going directly into his or her pocket, and you won’t know it’s fake until you call to make a claim.
3. The Unethical Insurance Agent
Many insurance agents are professional and ethical, but a few are not. These agents may artificially inflate your premiums in order to pocket the excess, or they may add coverages onto your policy that you didn’t ask for in order to increase their commission.
They may even recommend changing your insurance policy to a different, more expensive policy because it “offers better coverage.”
4. The Ultra-Cheap Insurance Policy
If a car insurance policy sounds amazingly good, you should be extremely skeptical.
If it is a legitimate policy, it may not meet your state’s minimum requirements, which could leave you underinsured and liable for being sued if you get into a car accident that is determined to be your fault.
If you come across any of these scenarios, you should immediately screen the calls or block the phone numbers and report them. Reporting the incident flags the number so that they can be investigated, taken out of business and potentially criminally prosecuted.
How To Avoid Auto Insurance Scams
Avoiding insurance scams involves being vigilant and refusing to provide your information to someone who you did not call. You should also only view insurance policies from reputable insurance carriers.
- Never provide information to an unsolicited caller – If a company or person calls you, never provide your personal information, especially if you are not actively shopping for car insurance.
- Be wary of clicking on online insurance ads – The advertisement may look legitimate, but you are better off locating the insurance company and agent via an Internet search rather than clicking on the ad.
- Research the agent – Even if the agent does work for the stated insurance company, he or she may not be ethical. Always research the company and the specific agent before purchasing a policy.
- Research the insurance company – If you’ve never heard of the insurance company, it’s best to do your research to find out if they are licensed and legally allowed to operate within your state. You can accomplish this by looking on your state’s insurance department’s website.
- Never agree to purchase super cheap insurance – If the cost of the insurance policy is 90 percent below average, there’s a good chance the policy is either fake or doesn’t cover what you think it covers. Always read the details of the policy.
Getting a New Policy from a Reputable Insurance Company