Car insurance scam victims go to cops

About 30 people lodged a police complaint against an insurance brokerage and one of its executives yesterday for allegedly duping them into making car insurance deals which were later found to be bogus.

The complaint was lodged with Crime Suppression Division (CSD) deputy chief Chakrit Sawasdee. The group was accompanied by Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) secretary-general Tanupata Ratanapoonchai, who is in charge of its Legal Litigation and Policyholder Protection Unit, as well as representatives from 10 insurance companies.

The complaint targets an insurance firm and its female executive accused of running the insurance brokerage operation without a proper permit.

Mr Tanupata said the OIC received multiple complaints from people who said they were lured into making car insurance deals with the firm over the phone.

Citing the victims, he said the company promised them a generous sales promotion offer, allowing them to pay in installments with zero interest.

After the victims agreed to the deal they wired money to the companies via the brokerage. When they ran checks, the companies said they had no record of the victims’ insurance purchase, Mr Tanupata said.

He said the brokerage did not have a licence to operate, citing the OIC’s inspection.

The female executive in question once worked for ACE INA Overseas Insurance, where she held a licence to sell insurance, but this was revoked in 2010.

Mr Tanupata said people can check the OIC’s website or call the commission to verify whether brokers are properly licensed.

Pol Col Chakrit said the victims were questioned by police yesterday.

Anyone who suspects they have been duped by the same scam should report to either the CSD or their local police station, he added.