Scam calls and fraudulent schemes are increasingly targeting individuals, and a recent case involving a health insurance scam highlights the need for vigilance. This scam, reported by several people on social media, involves fraudulent phone calls and emails designed to deceive victims into making payments through fake channels.
Also read: Beware of the Latest Financial Scam Targeting Innocent Victims
How the Health Insurance Scam Works
Recently, a professional from Gurgaon, Udit Bhandari, shared his experience with this health insurance scam on social media platform X. While preparing to renew his health insurance policy, he received a call from someone claiming to be from ICICI Lombard. The caller, sounding professional and knowledgeable, confirmed Bhandari’s personal details and the specifics of his policy, which matched perfectly with his records. He then quoted the renewal premium that Bhandari had already received via email a few days earlier.
“I was comparing quotes and planned to decide in a few days,” he explained. “But then the agent offered me a 20% discount because I hadn’t made a claim in over five years. That sounded like a great deal, so I asked for a revised quote.” The caller promptly sent an email that appeared official and included the renewal notice. He also sent a payment link through WhatsApp.
How the Insurance Scam Unfolded
The email included two payment options: one via a payment gateway, which was non-functional, and another via UPI, which seemed suspicious. The UPI ID looked unusual, prompting Sameer to scrutinize the email more closely. He discovered that the sender’s domain was a parked domain: http://icicilombardrenewal.com.
During this time, the caller repeatedly urged Bhandari via WhatsApp to complete the payment quickly, stressing that the discount offer was time-sensitive. “The urgency and the faulty payment link were red flags,” he said on X. “I confronted the caller, telling him I knew he was a scammer.”
Community Responses and Warnings on Insurance Scam
After this detailed post went viral, with many people sharing similar experiences. One user named Sujith commented: “A caller claiming to be from Bajaj Allianz told me I had taken a life insurance policy in 2009 and that I could activate it now by paying the premium and getting double the amount. They sent me the details through an unverified WhatsApp number. When I checked on their website, no information was found.”
Another user, Ruthwik, shared, “I had a similar experience with ICICI Lombard. There seems to be something inherently wrong with their process, though I’m not entirely sure what it is. Even though my vehicle insurance was valid for two years, I kept receiving renewal messages within just one year. The odd part is, I didn’t even have insurance with ICICI Lombard.”
Other Insurance Scams That Are Frequent
Users also shared on the thread that car insurance scams wherein consumers are hounded by loan agents. “This happens with many insurance companies. For car insurance renewal, you will receive calls from numerous scam agents claiming to be from the insurance company, who send suspicious links. It’s best to renew on your own online or through the agent you originally bought it from,” said a user.