Car insurance phishing, text and call scams

Car insurance phishing scams use emails, texts and calls that look like they come from your insurer, an adjuster or a dealer to get you to click a link, pay a fake bill or hand over personal and financial details. The safest rule is never to act on the message itself: open your insurer's app or type its website address yourself, or call the number on your ID card or policy documents, and check there. Real insurers will not ask you to update payment details through a link in a text.

Common insurance-themed lures

What the authorities say to watch for

The Federal Communications Commission warns about calls from scammers posing as representatives of a car dealer, manufacturer or insurer, saying your auto warranty or insurance is about to expire. The calls often start as recordings, ask you to press a number or stay on the line, and may include specific details about your car, which makes them more convincing. The FCC also notes that scammers use caller ID spoofing to make a call look like it comes from a trusted number.

The Federal Trade Commission's phishing guidance lists the stories phishing messages tell: suspicious activity on your account, a problem with your payment information, a request to confirm personal details, an invoice you do not recognize, or a link to make a payment. It says legitimate companies will not email or text you a link to update your payment information. For texts, the FTC adds that legitimate companies will not ask for information about your account by text.

Red flags

• Urgency: coverage canceled "today," a final notice, or a deadline measured in hours.
• A link or callback number in the message rather than a request to log in to your account.
• Requests for your Social Security number, full card number, bank login, password or one-time passcode.
• Payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app. The FCC says that if a caller asks you to pay with gift cards, it is a scam.
• A generic greeting, small misspellings, or a sender address or web domain that is close to, but not exactly, your insurer's.
• A caller who knows your car's make and model but cannot give your policy number.

How to check whether a message is real

1. Do not click, call back or reply using anything in the message.
2. Go to the source yourself. Open your insurer's official app, type its web address, or call the number on your Insurance ID card or declarations page.
3. Check your account for the billing problem, refund or cancellation notice the message mentioned. A real policy cancellation notice is also sent in writing under state rules.
4. For calls, hang up and call back on an official number. The FCC recommends doing this whenever someone says they are calling from a company or government agency.
5. Confirm adjusters and claims by calling the insurer's main claims line with the claim number before sharing information.

If you clicked, paid or shared information

• You shared a card or bank number: call your bank or card issuer immediately to block the card and dispute charges.
• You shared your Social Security number or other identity data: go to the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan specific to what was exposed.
• You entered a password: change it everywhere you use it, starting with your insurer and email accounts, and turn on multi-factor authentication, which the FTC recommends.
• You downloaded something: update your device's security software and run a scan.
• You think your policy was affected: call your insurer to confirm your coverage is still in force and no changes were made, such as a new address, a new payee or a cancellation.

The stakes are real. The National Insurance Crime Bureau projected in September 2025 that the use of identity theft in insurance crime would rise 49% by the end of that year, and it lists vehicle financing fraud using stolen information among the prevalent schemes.

How to report

• Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), which the FTC and FCC both recommend.
• Forward phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at [email protected], as the FTC advises.
• Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and unwanted calls to the FCC.
• Tell your insurer, whose fraud team may already be tracking the campaign.
• Report insurance fraud to your state through the NAIC's Online Fraud Reporting System at ofrs.naic.org; see how to report insurance fraud.

Cutting down the volume

Register your numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222. The FCC notes legitimate telemarketers honor the list; scammers do not, so use your carrier's call-blocking tools and spam filters too. Be careful where you enter your phone number: some online quote forms pass your details to many companies, which can bring a flood of calls; see how car insurance comparison sites and lead generators work.

Key takeaways

• Phishing messages impersonate insurers, adjusters and dealers to steal payment and identity details.
• Never act on a link or number in the message; go to your insurer's app, website or the number on your ID card.
• Legitimate companies do not ask you to update payment details by text or email link, and gift card payment is always a scam.
• If you clicked or shared information, contact your bank, use IdentityTheft.gov and confirm your coverage with your insurer.
• Forward scam texts to 7726 and report scams to the FTC, FCC and your state insurance department.