Kathmandu. After manipulating PIN codes in neighbouring India for more than a decade, fraudsters have now found a new way to cheat the insurance system. They are misusing the process related to Aadhaar number and cheating their identity.
Now these criminals are filing fake claims by manipulating the data of Aadhaar card through fake documents ranging from motor insurance to health claims. Fraud in the insurance sector is estimated to be around 10-15 percent of the total claims. To control this, insurance companies are sharing paid flag data with as much insurance information bureau (IIB) as possible.
By the end of July, the UP Police had sent notices to several insurance companies. Police have sought details of the claim teams as well as other officials involved. These cases include forged documents and collusion between banks and insurance companies.
Sambhal’s Additional SP Anukriti Sharma said the Aadhaar number is now emerging as a new and weak link in the chain of fraud. “Fraudsters are creating fake identities by using fake or tampered Aadhaar cards to get policies and initiate false claims,” she said. ’
The UP Police investigation has found that these criminals are not only targeting life and health insurance policies using fake documents but are also running an organised network for auto insurance.
Many insurance companies have reported cases where phone numbers and e-mail IDs linked to Aadhaar card do not match the actual contact details of the policyholder. Insurance company officials say, “These frauds are not detected until a claim is filed or the money is returned. ’
Krishnan Ramachandran, MD and CEO of Niwa Bupa Health Insurance, said, “We have received 2-3 cases related to cheating from UP. Our fraud investigation team is actively working on this. ’
In some cases, the police found that the fraudsters searched for the most vulnerable people in hospitals and rural corridors or those who were already facing death or poverty. They persuade families to give their Aadhaar details, change addresses to bypass blacklisted PIN codes, open accounts in their names in smaller finance banks with less oversight and then buy life insurance policies worth Rs 20 lakh or more. – Agency
