OIC impersonator contacting auto collision victims

We recently received a report that a marketer is making calls to people who have been in auto collisions impersonating the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to sign people up for chiropractic appointments.

There are several problems with this, starting with the fact that it's illegal.The OIC doesn't cold-call people and we don't recommend specific businesses, whether it be a medical provider, auto repair shop or insurer.

Here are some red flags that someone may be trying to scam you:

• Unsolicited calls from an organization you’ve never been in contact with or heard of before. Traffic collision and police records are available to the public and can be used to market to people.
• A vague or nonspecific business name like “your insurance company,” “insurance commission” or something very broad like “collision consultants.”
• They ask you for personally identifying information. Before you agree to anything or give financial information, ask some questions to try to figure out who the person represents. Do not give your insurance policy number bank or credit card information. It’s not uncommon for people to be trying to steer you to a specific business.

If you get a call of this nature, please report it to us online or by calling 1-800-562-6900. It helps us to have as many details as possible: the caller's name, phone number, organization they represent, time of day they called, place where they referred you.