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Fraud and Scams blog
Application misstatements and rescission: when an error voids a policyHow a post-claim review turns an application error into a voided policy, where honest error ends and fraud begins, and how injured third parties are protected.Auto glass claim fraud: how repair-shop billing schemes workWhy windshield claims attract billing abuse, how assignments and inducements fed Florida's glass lawsuits, and what to check before you sign a shop's form.Body shop billing fraud: phantom repairs, parts swaps, padded laborHow some collision shops overbill insurers for work never done or parts never fitted, how insurers audit, and what you can check on your estimate and car.Body shops that waive your deductible: why it is a red flagA shop that offers to "eat" your deductible has to recover that money somewhere. How state laws differ, where the risk lands, and what to do instead.Buying a policy after the crash: backdating and post-loss fraudWhy a policy bought after a crash cannot cover it, how investigators compare time stamps, and what a driver whose coverage truly lapsed can do instead.Cappers, runners and illegal accident-case solicitationWho steers crash victims to clinics and lawyers, which laws make paid referrals a crime, and what to do if someone approaches you after a crash.Claim padding vs fraud: where the legal line fallsOld damage or a rounded-up bill is not always fraud. How intent and materiality separate honest error, padding and fraud, and how to fix a mistake.Cloned VINs and vehicle identity fraudHow thieves copy a real car's VIN onto a stolen one, why the buyer usually loses the car, how title and theft coverage respond, and how databases catch clones.Counterfeit airbags and parts in collision repairsHow fake and salvaged airbags reach repaired cars, what federal cases show, what your estimate says about parts, and what to do if the warning light stays on.No-fault medical mill fraud: what New York's rules aim to stopHow New York's no-fault benefits drew clinics that billed for unneeded or phantom care, and how licensing, verification, arbitration and criminal law answer it.Odometer rollbacks and digital mileage fraud: how to catch itHow mileage is falsified on mechanical and digital odometers, what federal law says, where records disagree, and what a rollback does to a total-loss claim.Owner give-ups: how staged vehicle thefts get investigatedA give-up is a car reported stolen by the owner who disposed of it. How insurers test such claims, what a false report costs, and how real victims stay crediblePhantom passengers and paper accidents: how inflated claims workHow a real minor crash gets padded with injury claims from people who were never in the car, the red flags adjusters use, and what to record.Curbstoning and rebuilt wrecks: scams that start as total lossesHow totaled cars legitimately become rebuilt-title cars, where unlicensed sellers hide the history, what title brands miss, and a checklist before you buy.Fake check scams: car wraps and settlement overpaymentsWhy a fake check can show as available cash before it fails, how the car-wrap and claim-overpayment scripts work, and what to do if you already deposited one.Fake premium refund and unclaimed money scams targeting driversHow a real unearned-premium refund works, what fake refund and unclaimed money messages ask for, and how to check a claim with your insurer or a free search.Online car listing scams: fake escrow and fake coverage guaranteesHow fake used-car listings use made-up escrow firms and protection or insurance promises to take deposits, and how to check a private sale before paying.Rental counter insurance upsells and bogus damage chargesWhich rental counter pitches are merely pushy and which cross the line, how to document the car, and how to contest a damage bill that arrives weeks later.SR-22 and license reinstatement scamsWhy only a licensed insurer can file an SR-22 or FR-44, how fake certificates and reinstatement middlemen work, and how to confirm the state has your filing.Storm chasers and hail repair scams for vehiclesOut-of-town dent crews that offer to cover your deductible: where that is illegal, what it can mean for your claim, and how to check a repair business first.Too-cheap insurance ads on social media: what is behind themWhy a few dollars a month for car insurance usually means a data grab or a worthless policy, and how to check an advertiser against NAIC and state records.Unpaid toll and traffic ticket text scamsHow fake "unpaid toll" and "traffic ticket" texts work, how real toll agencies and courts contact you, and what to do in the first hour if you tapped the link.Why your phone rings after a car insurance quoteOne online quote form can be sold to many buyers. How consent, the Do Not Call rules and texting law work, and how to tell a nuisance caller from an impostor.Altered photos and AI-generated documents in auto claimsHow edited and AI-made photos and paperwork show up in auto claims, how insurers test them, the legal risk, and what to do if your genuine file is questioned.Event data recorders as evidence in claims and fraud casesHow investigators use a car's crash recorder to test a claim, who may download it, what it proves, and where its limits are.How an insurance fraud case is prosecuted from referral to sentenceThe route from an insurer's suspicion to a courtroom: referral, subpoenas, charging thresholds, pleas, restitution, civil suits and what a sentence costs.How insurers investigate a stolen car claimWhat an adjuster checks after a theft report and why: police report, keys, databases, your loan and policy history, then the statement and settlement.Independent medical exams and injury bill auditsWhy insurers send injured claimants to doctors they choose and cut medical bills, how those tools catch padded claims, and where an honest claimant stands.ISO ClaimSearch and how fraud analytics flag claimsHow a shared claims database, link analysis and scoring models route claims to investigators, why honest claimants get flagged, and how this differs from CLUE.Mandatory fraud reporting and immunity laws for insurersWhy most states make insurers report suspected fraud and shield them from defamation suits when they do, and what that means if you are the one reported.My claim is under SIU review: what to expect and your rightsWhat it means when your adjuster mentions the special investigations unit, how long the review can last, what you may be asked for, and how to protect yourself.Social media and surveillance in injury claim investigationsWhat an insurer may lawfully read, photograph and ask for when you claim an injury, where the legal limits sit, and how to keep your account consistent.When an automated fraud flag delays your claimWhy a payment can stall after a scoring model flags a claim, what the insurer may ask for, which deadlines still run, and how to build a paper trail.Where stolen cars go: export, chop shops and VIN cloningWhere a stolen car ends up: a shipping container, a chop shop or a cloned identity. What it means for recovery, your claim and used-car buyers.Whistleblower suits under state insurance fraud lawsCalifornia and Illinois let private citizens sue over insurance fraud for the state and share the recovery. How those suits work and who actually files them.After an insurer data breach: what drivers should doWhat an insurer breach notice really puts at risk, what state laws require, and which steps (freeze, alerts, record checks) help if a license number leaks.How to verify an insurance agent's license and the insurerA step-by-step check before you pay a new seller: the state license lookup, lines of authority, the insurer's standing and a call to the insurer itself.Insurance identity theft: policies and claims in your nameHow impostors use your identity to buy car insurance or file claims, how victims find out, and the steps to report it, clean your records and limit liability.Keeping a claim diary to protect yourselfA template for logging every call, promise, photo and expense on an auto claim, so delays, disputes and fraud questions can be answered with dates.Photo inventory of your car for claimsA shot list, storage routine and update schedule for photos that prove your car's condition, trim and upgrades before a total loss, theft or damage dispute.Pulling your own records: CLUE, MVR and claim fileHow to request your CLUE report, driving record and insurer file, what each shows, how long entries last, and how to dispute errors under the FCRA.Repair authorizations and assignment of benefits explainedThe papers a body shop may hand you, what each one commits you to, and the fields, fees and promises that should make you stop before you sign.Selling a car privately: liability and insurance stepsWhat to put in the bill of sale, which state notice ends your responsibility for the car, and when to cancel coverage so a buyer's crash does not land on you.Signs your car insurance policy was never issuedA post-purchase audit: which documents should arrive, how to confirm the policy with the insurer, what state checks show, and what to do if coverage is missing.Talking to older relatives about insurance scamsHow to raise insurance, toll and renewal scams with a parent or grandparent without condescension, which safeguards to set up, and what to do after a payment.