Consumers are being warned by the Texas Department of Insurance about a phone scam conducted by an organization posing as the Consumer Insurance Association.
The calls offer to reduce the recipient’s auto insurance premiums and inquire about their current policy. According to TDI, it’s a ruse.
Insurance spam calls are particularly dangerous, even though they might come from a variety of sectors. Health insurance, auto insurance, car insurance, disability insurance, and other types of insurance may be the target of these frauds.
In many cases, a scammer will attempt to imitate a legitimate insurer in order to dupe a customer into signing up for a phony or inferior plan.
Who is consumer insurance?
Consumers Insurance USA is part of the Motorists Insurance Group and provides personal auto insurance as well as commercial insurance. In April 1995, Consumers Insurance USA commenced operations as a Property and Casualty firm based in Tennessee.
How do I block spam phone calls?
Call 1-888-382-1222 (voice) or 1-866-290-4236 (toll-free) to register your phone numbers on the national Do Not Call list (TTY). You must dial the phone number from which you wish to register. You can also register at donotcall.gov to have your personal wireless phone number added to the national Do-Not-Call list.
How do I stop nuisance calls from insurance?
Unsolicited offers arrive at all hours of the day and night, making many people feel overwhelmed. There are advice on (1) how to obtain fewer unsolicited offers and (2) how to report concerns for each category of unwanted communications listed below.
Email Spam
- Never respond to scam emails. More spam will most likely be sent to your email address as a result of your response.
- Invest in an email filter. Most ISPs now have spam filtering capabilities that allow you to specify which email addresses you want to receive in your inbox and divert messages from unknown sources to a separate folder.
- Untick the box that allows you to receive email updates. When you sign up for a service or make a purchase online, the company may ask you to tick a box declaring that you consent to receive promotional communications. This box can be unchecked on occasion.
- Never sign up for sites that claim to take your name off spam lists. While some sites are authentic, many others are simply looking for your email address to sell to others or use for some other reason.
- To restrict public exposure, consider utilizing two email addresses. Chatrooms, newsgroups, online membership directors, and business transactions can all be done with a single email address. Personal messages can be sent to the other email address.
- Inform your Internet service provider (ISP), such as Comcast or Google Fiber, about email spam.
Text Spam
- Check to see if your phone is registered with the Do Not Call Registry. You can join the National Do Not Call Registry here.
- If you do not know the recipient, do not send personal information (such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords).
- Check with your mobile service provider to see whether you may restrict specific senders from sending you text messages in the future.
- If you’re a customer of AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, or Bell, you may report text spam to your carrier for free by texting “SPAM” to 7726.
- General Comment, Question, or Complaint Form, California Attorney General’s Office
Junk Faxes
- Check to see if your phone is registered with the Do Not Call Registry. The National Do Not Call Registry is where you can sign up.
- You can submit a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission regarding unwanted faxes.
Junk Mail
- Become a member of the Direct Marketing Association. This is a voluntary industry effort that will eliminate some unwanted mail, but not all.
- You can also write to each of the big consumer reporting agencies separately. Visit the Consumer Information page of the Federal Trade Commission to learn how to do this.
- If you don’t know how your name and address will be used, don’t give it out.
- “Sign Up to Win Contests” and similar contests should be avoided. These are commonly used to create mailing lists for personal use or for sale to other businesses.
Telemarketing Calls
- Check to see if your phone is registered with the Do Not Call Registry. www.donotcall.gov is where you may sign up. You can also call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the number you want to register toll-free.
- Telemarketers covered by the National Do Not Call Registry are required to stop calling you thirty days after you register. It’s important to note that registering simply prevents sales calls. Other parties, such as political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors, may still call you. You may still be contacted by debt collectors.
- Visit www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0108-national-do-not-call-registry for more general information.
- Get a phone number that isn’t listed or published. Unlisted phone numbers receive less unsolicited calls. Alternatively, contact the business office of your telephone provider and request that your name be removed from its street address directories. Companies, on the other hand, usually charge a monthly fee for these services.
- The incoming phone number will be blocked. Your phone carrier, on the other hand, may charge a price for this.
- You can make a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission here: https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx if you have been on the Do Not Call Registry for at least thirty-one days and the call is a sales call.
What is non consumer insurance contract?
It defines a “non-consumer insurance contract” as a contract of insurance that is not a consumer insurance contract as defined by the CIA, and it uses the term “insured” to refer to a party who is or would be the insured under the contract of insurance if it had been entered into.
Do consumers trust insurance companies?
Accenture’s Global Insurance Consumer Study, based on a global survey of more than 47,000 consumers, examines consumer preferences and trends in insurance, expanding on previous findings from 2019 and 2017.
In a time when insurers are launching tech-driven partnerships to boost customer wellness, nearly seven out of ten consumers (69%) say they would give major data about their health, exercise, and driving habits in exchange for lower insurance premiums, up from 58 percent two years ago.
Furthermore, two-thirds of consumers (66%) say they would give substantial data for customised services to prevent harm and loss, up from 54% in the previous year’s research.
Consumers’ concerns about intrusiveness and its influence on premiums have grown, even as they are more prepared to provide personal data. In addition, their trust in their insurers’ ability to protect their data has eroded. For example, just under a third of customers (32%) think they have a high level of trust in insurers to protect their data, down from 40% in the previous year’s research.
“Consumers are embracing the data-for-personalized-pricing trend and want insurers to reward them for their efforts to improve their well-being, but there is a warning that trust is eroding, and they want to feel in control of their data,” said Kenneth Saldanha, global leader of Accenture’s Insurance industry group.
For these collaborations to thrive, he added, insurers designing customised insurance offers based on behavior must be honest and accountable with their consumers’ data. “Insurers will need to demonstrate that their clients’ well-being is at the core of their company” to earn consumers’ trust, according to Saldaha.
Which are benefits of purchasing insurance?
One of the first things you should think about when acquiring a car or home, renting a property, or starting a business is getting insurance.
Insurance policies provide peace of mind by ensuring that your valued assets are secured and secure. They are available from a variety of sources, including evolve Credit Union.
If you’re confronted with an unexpected hazard, such as a car accident or property damage, insurance might provide additional protection.
Furthermore, these plans give compensation for situations such as these, which can help to mitigate the financial impact of unplanned expenses.
However, in addition to all of the above, insurance policies come with a slew of lesser-known benefits. Here are five perks that you may not be aware of.
1. Personal liability coverage that is comprehensive
Personal liability coverage is included in most homeowner’s, auto, and renters insurance policies.
This coverage is designed to cover major expenses that you or someone you live with may suffer as a result of an accident or damage that you or someone you live with causes or is responsible for.
Personal liability insurance is quite common, but what it covers may surprise you.
For instance, if someone is wounded while visiting your home or apartment, insurance may be able to cover their medical costs.
Personal liability insurance can also cover legal bills in the event of a lawsuit arising from these mishaps, as well as costs linked with property damage or destruction caused by a family member.
Personal liability insurance can even cover costs incurred as a result of unforeseen events, such as if your dog bites a visitor or a pipe bursts and destroys your neighbor’s ceiling.
2. Surprisingly extensive rental property coverage
When you rent a dwelling, renters insurance is similar to homeowners insurance in that it protects you and your belongings in the case of damage or loss.
Many individuals are unaware, however, that renters insurance covers certain components of your personal belongings while you are away from home.
If your laptop or bike is stolen while you’re out and about, for example, your renters insurance coverage may cover it.
Believe it or not, stolen laundry from a communal building laundry facility or laundromat is also covered.
3. Rewarding safe driving
Drivers who stay cautious and avoid accidents or other infractions are frequently rewarded by auto insurance companies.
This might mean a reduction in your insurance premiums or a discount on your deductible.
Some companies also provide accident forgiveness, which ensures that your insurance premiums will not rise if you cause an accident for the first time.
4. Condominium loss assessment coverage
When a person buys a condo, they will become a member of a homeowners organization. HOA fees are frequently reimbursed by renters to the landlord.
At a bare minimum, these organizations have insurance that covers damage to the property’s buildings and other public areas.
Condo dwellers should, however, acquire their own individual policies to cover personal responsibility and property, according to experts.
People should include loss assessment coverage in their individual policies, which comes in useful if a catastrophic event occurs to a condo building or property.
In such circumstances, homeowners association insurance may not cover all, and residents may be required to contribute more to cover the gap.
5. One-of-a-kind reimbursements under ‘loss of use’ coverage
Loss of use coverage is commonly seen in auto and property insurance plans.
This means that if your automobile is undriveable as a result of an accident and you need to rent a car, or if you have to abandon your home and book a hotel room owing to property damage, you may be paid for these expenses.
For example, if your commute is longer because your hotel is further away from work resulting in greater petrol purchases in a given week you may be paid for the difference.
If you’re spending more money on meals than usual because you’re staying in a hotel, the extra groceries or restaurant costs may be compensated.
Owners of rental homes or units may be eligible for compensation if their property becomes uninhabitable.
It’s always a good idea to study your premiums carefully before buying insurance to figure out what is and isn’t covered in the event of damage or an emergency.
However, being a wise insurance shopper has numerous advantages, including protecting your family and valuable property, as well as avoiding extra worry and financial problems in the event of an emergency.
Members of the USA TODAY Network’s editorial and journalistic teams were not involved in the creation of this material.
What happens if you answer a spam call?
If you get a spam robocall, the best thing you can do is ignore it. If you answer the phone, the scammers will consider your number ‘good,’ even if you don’t fall for the deception. They’ll attempt again because they know someone on the other end could be a fraud victim. The fewer robocalls you answer, the fewer you will receive.
The challenge is determining when a call is a robocall and whether it is a spam robocall.
Spoofing calls have become more widespread in recent years. When phoning, spoof callers purposefully modify the name or number displayed as the caller ID. This is frequently done to fool you into picking up the phone by imitating a real company or person’s name. As a result, be cautious when pressing the answer button.
Hang up as soon as you realize it’s a robocall
The less you interact with others, the better. If you speak or react, the call will be designated as “live,” and you will be subjected to more.
Avoid saying the word “yes if you can
Many robocall scams begin with a query such as “Hello, can you hear me?” to which individuals may unconsciously respond “yes.” They can then store your confirmation recording and utilize it for nefarious purposes. As a result, whenever possible, avoid saying yes.
Avoid following the bot’s instructions
Robocalls may ask you to do things like “press 1 to speak to a live representative” or “hit 2 to unsubscribe,” among other things. You confirm to the robocallers that you are a prospective victim and welcome further robocalls by following the instructions. Make every effort to avoid taking any action.
Report the call
You can report robocalls to the Federal Trade Commission at donotcall.gov in the United States. You may assist the FTC in tracking down the scammers behind the call by reporting the number that displays on your caller ID. Every business day, the FTC exposes the phone numbers you submit to the public. This aids phone companies and other partners who are developing call-blocking software. Reports also assist law enforcement in identifying those responsible for illicit phone calls.
Exercise caution
Robocall scams have the potential to cause a lot of harm. They will waste your time even if they do not obtain your credit card details. When you see an unknown caller ID, proceed with care. If a company calls you, hang up, look up their phone number on their website, then call them back to see if the call is genuine.
Is this a scammer phone number?
These programs can help you trace down cell phone and landline numbers, and they can provide you a lot of information about the caller. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll acquire all of the caller’s most recent background information or history.
Google the Number
The best way to seek up a scammer’s phone number is to use Google. However, just because something is simple does not mean it is the best option. While it is free and easy to use, the results are occasionally limited.
Simply type the phone number into the Google search box. If you type the number without spaces or vice versa, you may obtain different results.
Search on Social Media
Searching for a phone number on social media may not provide you with all of the information you require. For example, you can look up phone numbers on Facebook or LinkedIn, but they won’t tell you about potential scams. You won’t be able to identify if they’re a human or a bot.
Use a Reverse Phone Check Website
While some of the reports aren’t free, they do offer you with crucial information that can quickly help you establish whether or not a phone number is a fraud.
Does * 61 block unwanted calls?
- Have you received an unwelcome phone call? To activate call blocking, dial *60 and follow the audio prompts. To add the most recent call to your call block list, dial *61. To disable call blocking, dial *80.
- Have you ever received a call with no caller ID? To block callers who do not provide their phone numbers, dial *77. You will receive a message from anonymous callers stating that you do not accept calls without Caller ID information. By dialing *87, you can unblock these calls at any moment.