It’s unfortunate, but many unscrupulous people are using the current economic situation as an opportunity to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting people. One of the most common areas for fraud is with home insurance online. While most companies provide reputable services, there are some people who will hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to perpetrate a scam.
Some sites will perform a “bait and switch” by offering you free home insurance quotes, only to provide you with coverage that doesn’t meet the terms laid out in the quotes. Only a close review of the contract will tell you what you are getting. Or some con artists will quickly set up fake companies to collect premiums and then never pay out claims. You won’t know your insurance is bogus until something goes wrong.
Another common tactic is to collect “personal” information such as social security numbers, checking accounts and other items in the guise of getting a home owner insurance quote. It’s critical that you do the research and confirm that an online site is legitimate before giving out any information online.