The Hong Kong Insurance Authority (IA) has issued a warning to the public about fraudulent sales activities on social media platforms involving individuals falsely claiming to be agents of Dah Sing Insurance Company (1976) Limited (DSI), an authorised insurer in Hong Kong. The matter has been referred to the Hong Kong Police for further investigation.
In the reported case, fraudsters contacted a victim via Facebook and WhatsApp and persuaded him to take out a car insurance policy. After paying the premium using the Faster Payment System (FPS), the victim received a cover note which was later found to be fake. It was subsequently discovered that no insurance application had been submitted to DSI for the victim’s vehicle.
According to a press release, DSI is urging anyone who has provided personal information or engaged in insurance transactions with suspected fraudsters, specifically regarding DSI policies, to immediately contact its customer service hotline at (852) 2808-5000. In addition, such incidents should be reported to the Hong Kong Police.
The public is also advised to exercise caution and ensure that insurance premiums are paid directly to the insurer through officially sanctioned methods. Payments through individual insurance agents, especially under dubious circumstances, should be avoided. If there is any doubt as to the legitimacy of any party involved in an insurance transaction, the IA also recommends that the transaction be terminated immediately.
In other news, the IA has disciplined two former insurance agents for using fraudulent academic certificates.
