Insurance fraud hits low-income consumers
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has recently issued a number of fines in relation to insurance fraud which has left many people underinsured or in some cases uninsured despite paying their premiums. However, despite the fact that many consumers have forwarded this their premiums in good faith and assumed that the relevant cover has been taken out many will find the shocking reality when they try to claim in the future. So what can consumers do to protect themselves?
If you take out an insurance policy with any third party you should demand to see the relevant paperwork which should confirm the date when the cover began, the premiums and details of the cover offered by the insurance company. Alarm bells should start ringing if you pay your premiums but do not see sight of the correct paperwork within an "appropriate" space of time.
Even though the FSA has undergone a number of investigations into the insurance industry and uncovered a number of frauds there are many more going on under the surface. Consumers, the authorities and the insurance industry as a whole need to be more alert and more aware of the potential problems and take the relevant action as soon as possible.
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