Strange phone call about car insurance claim

ashleyk

I had a strange phone call earlier this evening about a minute after I walked through the door from somebody claiming to be from a company called active insure. The phone number was withheld but didn't show as being out of area or international.

The caller asked for me by name and confirmed this before saying he was following up on a car insurance claim relating to an accident I had supposedly had in the last 12 months. I was shocked by this because I definitely haven't been involved in any accidents or claims during that time or indeed for many years.

When I mentioned this he asked me to confirm it and then when I asked him to tell me the name of his insurance company again as I tried to search for some clarification over what was happening he put the phone down immediately.

Any ideas what this is about? I am ex directory and also signed up with TPS to avoid getting cold calls yet they knew my name and number. I also make sure that my full details are not available to marketing companies etc. through the electoral roll.

I called my insurance company to say what had happened and they added a note to my file but the phone call really does make me feel that something dodgy is going on. I wondered if anybody else has ever had a call like this or knows what it's likely to be.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Probably someone fishing - maybe one of those no win no fee things?... Personally, I'd never confirm my name until I've confirmed who is calling. Actually, since we don't have a landline, I can see who is calling at all times on the mobile display and auto-reject all anonymous/withheld callers so I never find out who they were

A search for active insure turns up a home insurance company at http://www.activeinsure.co.uk/ , a broker at http://activeinsurancecompany.co.uk/motor/daycover/ and a motor insurance company at http://www.provisionalmarmalade.co.uk/default.asp?introducer=136

But it sounds like a sales call to me. How they got your name is a bit of a mystery though, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it

ashleyk

My insurance company said it was possibly one of those dodgy lawyer companies aiming to involve people in heavily bolstered claims so they go looking for potential customers through cunning means but I still don't like the way they obviously had my details. Having recently bought a new car all of this had me especially paranoid.

For years I have always avoided answering the phone when it says number withheld since it's a 95% guarantee that they want to hide their identity because they are up to no good. I only answered because a friend of mine has recently changed telephone setup and now it always says caller withheld when he rings, so I let him know tonight that if he calls again I won't answer!

Heinz

This contravenes the Data Protection Act and should be reported. Lucy Bonham Carter of lucy.bonhamcarter@autolaw.co.uk thinks it suggests someone is accessing CUE, the insurers' Claims and Underwriting Exchange (which lists pretty much all claims and potential claims made through any insurer in the UK) to solicit injury leads.

If the call-centre prospectors knew the location and date of the collision as well as the details of the vehicle, plus your contact details, they were probably soliciting to make personal injury claims and tie you into a credit-hire agreement.

All such cases should be reported to the claims regulators (www.cueuk.org, ico.gov.uk, claimsregulation.gov.uk)

The above courtesy of The Telegraph's Honest John.