Fake Insurance?

[LadyDeath]

Fake insurance came about because alot of people just cannot afford to pay to ensure their vehicles or don't meet the necessary requirements to obtain one. It's sole purpose is just to show officers in times of a roadblock, however, in event of an accident, no claims can be made. There is an increase of fake insurance in Trinidad & Tobago and many people are making a living out of doing this for people on a daily basis. I know some people who pay $300 or less to obtain fake insurances.

What's your stance on this ? What measures we can implement to decrease fake insurances in T&T? How can we make it more affordable to our citizens ?

 

[Steven Ramadar]

First time hearing about this fake insurance tho.

Insurance just like maintenance is necessary for ever vehicle. If you can't afford either you shouldn't have a car. That is my stance on the matter.

 

[nirtime]

My stance on it is when they bounce you how they paying you for the damages?

I believe a system of validation can be put in place to deal with this insurance fraud. I always thought about that. Anyone can basically replicate an insurance policy and forge a number that looks legit and provide it to officers who may not be able to tell the difference.

I remember a while back Beyond The Tape had recovered a stolen 2009 Hilux from a guy's home. He had false plates and fake insurance on the van and nobody recognized the van was stolen. I forgot how they recovered it but he was using this van daily very confidently with false insurance on it. Maybe we need a computerised database with all the registration info of vehicles? Maybe officers need to have carputers to be able to effectively verify validity on spot.

Insurance can be made more affordable by offering a cash back reward for every year of safe driving. Also, these companies need to stop playing squeeze games with people who genuinely pay their fee and really make honest claims. Over the years I've seen people around me endure lots of stress with insurance taking forever to pay or giving them a hard time.

Another thing, we may never be able to totally eliminate fake insurance and I don't really know a whole lot about the industry but I feel more things can be done to stiffen up on validity of policies.

 

[admin]

If you take a look at your vehicle insurance its a regular piece of printing paper, anyone with basic knowledge of photoshop can change the details in these documents. Its so easy that you can even use The regular Paint program on you pc to make a fake insurance. I believe that this should be changed and all insurance companies should be using a government issued validated paper to be used on vehicle insurances, Something like what they use for passports.

 

[nirtime]

If you take a look at your vehicle insurance its a regular piece of printing paper, anyone with basic knowledge of photoshop can change the details in these documents. Its so easy that you can even use The regular Paint program on you pc to make a fake insurance. I believe that this should be changed and all insurance companies should be using a government issued validated paper to be used on vehicle insurances, Something like what they use for passports.

That's what I was thinking. Its too easy to duplicate.

 

[Shadowhunter]

Very good ideas regarding government issued paper and computerized systems. I think officers (especially those doing traffic routines or roadblocks) should have scanners to scan licenses and plates into a system and immediately pull up insurance, past offenses, and registration info.

 

[Mr.Bollywood]

Honestly this is the first time I'm hearing about these fake insurance, I did not know how people was getting away with this until Admin mention the fact that a simple Photoshop or paint editing and you could create your own documents , now that it's highly troubling, as vehicle sales with issuance may be fake and passed onto the new owner without them knowing, as all as in accidents where claims cannot be made , if people creating fake insurance, what other documents can be faked? How far does this go? Do they have templates from insurance companies?

I agree that there should be a way to distinguish a real from a fake , some simple silver lining and security numbers like what they did on the $50 bill would work perfectly as well

Implementing this tho might be a little tricky for companies cuz mostly all of them to cheap to want to do such a thing

 

[nirtime]

We need an electronic database with computers outfitted to police vehicles which have access to a centrally located database with all the records available. This would easily tie into the government issuing the insurance as it would be registered on the database along with the other necessary records and information about the driver and vehicle.

RFID can also be added to drivers licenses to make them easy to scan via the police carputers.

 

[Shadowhunter]

We need an electronic database with computers outfitted to police vehicles which have access to a centrally located database with all the records available. This would easily tie into the government issuing the insurance as it would be registered on the database along with the other necessary records and information about the driver and vehicle.

RFID can also be added to drivers licenses to make them easy to scan via the police carputers.

This is a great idea.


I'm also wondering as Mr. B said, how far this fake documentation goes. I've heard of people creating fake business documents for banking, car loans etc but to go as far as insurance is a bit worrying. Normally things go to a deeper extent than what you first hear about.

 

[nirtime]

Of course. Like how they thief a Hilux from a man and completely fabbed the documents to show ownership using fake plates.

They would easily get through road blocks with it because it looks legit and once those documents available they would also get inspection forged equally as easily.

If they were to hit someone they have the false insurance to show but they would never be able to make any claims yet alone pay for damages.

It's very worrying and I always wonder how we can fight against it.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I'm guessing a lot of those people might just drive off with no info after an accident to avoid any repercussions. Worse yet if they give to false info to the person they hit and after the exchange of information, both parties drive off thinking the matter is resolved. The fraud gets his car fixed; the law abiding citizen gets shafted.

 

[nirtime]

Correction: The fraud uses stolen parts to fix his vehicle if indeed the fraud is engaging in fraudulent activities to that extent.

 

[Shadowhunter]

Ahhhhh quite true. This country just gets a little sadder every time I learn something new lol

 

[Mad racer]

Its an illegal way so i can,t follow it for myself.If i suck into these matters so its quite hard to leave from it from me.So better to use the legal ways to insure the car.

 

[LadyDeath]

Can you just imagine putting fake insurance in your car and got into an accident where you was right . Now the wrong one wants to go thru insurance but u have none! that must be sad lol

 

[Mad racer]

Yeah i agree with you in that type of situation person who have fake insurance feel very ashamed to see what he do.

 

[nirtime]

Can you just imagine putting fake insurance in your car and got into an accident where you was right . Now the wrong one wants to go thru insurance but u have none! that must be sad lol

Imagine they total the car from speeding like that type of person would normally do. All the money basically went down the drain and they could possibly come under investigation if police find something suspicious about the insurance.

 

[LadyDeath]

Yup can you just imagine these fake insurances are also made by their employees under their noses.

A person who i know got their fake insurance from an employee of Beacon Insurance that's doing a sideline thing. The fake insurance cost 150-350TT

 

[Shadowhunter]

Yup can you just imagine these fake insurances are also made by their employees under their noses.

A person who i know got their fake insurance from an employee of Beacon Insurance that's doing a sideline thing. The fake insurance cost 150-350TT

In case people might be driving with fake insurance without knowing it. Just imagine when something happens and they try to make a claim.

 

[Mad racer]

So they will caught badly by the police or the police officers think them like a prisoners so i think people should have to avoid it.