What to do if you fall victim to a phone insurance scam? 5 key remedies + anti-scam tips to help you handle it!
Lifestyle2025-05-14
6 Mins Read
In recent years, insurance scams have become increasingly sophisticated, catching many off guard. These scams are pervasive and often hard to detect, affecting both the young and the elderly alike.
Beyond financial losses, victims of such scams may also experience disruptions to their family life, and in more severe cases, damage to their personal credit ratings. If you unfortunately fall victim to one of these scams, the most important thing is to remain calm and take immediate action to minimise the impact.
Three common types of phone insurance scams
Before we dive into how to recover after being scammed, let’s revisit the three most common types of phone insurance scams:
Scam 1: Impersonating insurance company or regulatory authority staff to renew or cancel policies
Scammers often impersonate representatives from insurance companies or the Insurance Authority. They may call or send pre-recorded voice messages claiming to help you renew your policy, or falsely claim that you have outstanding premium payments. Victims are then asked to pay a cancellation fee or provide their bank account details to cancel the policy — leading to unauthorised withdrawals and financial losses.
Scam 2: Withdrawing policy value for ‘investigation’ purposes
Another tactic involves scammers pretending to be government officials conducting an ‘investigation’. They may ask victims to surrender their policy or withdraw its value as a guarantee. To do this, the victim is asked to disclose detailed policy information and value, ultimately resulting in monetary loss.
Scam 3: Phishing messages on WeChat (‘WeChat insurance’)
With the rise of social media, scammers have taken to platforms like WeChat to spread phishing messages. These scammers pose as insurance company representatives and send seemingly legitimate messages. They lure victims into clicking fake links and submitting personal and banking details, which then leads to account theft.
Phone scams come in many forms and are constantly evolving. To better protect yourself, read our guide: ‘Three latest insurance phone scams uncovered – Four tips to avoid being deceived!’
What to do if you have already been scammed?
The moment you realise you have been scammed, it’s natural to feel panicked, but don't be afraid. Once you’ve managed your emotions, follow the steps below to handle the situation.
1. Immediately freeze relevant accounts and payment tools
First, contact your bank or payment platform and freeze all relevant accounts and credit cards to prevent the scammer from further accessing your funds. Afterward, be sure to change the passwords for your online banking or payment platforms and enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.
2. Keep all communication and transaction records
Make sure to save all information related to the scam, such as messages sent by the scammer, phone numbers used, recordings (if any), and transaction receipts. This information will serve as crucial evidence when reporting to the police or during the investigation, helping you provide accurate details of the incident.
3. Report to the police and relevant authorities
Once you suspect that you’ve fallen victim to a scam, please report the case to the nearest police station. Additionally, report the incident to your insurance company and the Insurance Authority to ensure it is officially recorded and prevent further losses.
4. Check your personal credit status
It’s advisable to check your personal credit record through a credit rating agency to see if there are any unauthorised loan applications or other unusual records. If you find any issues, contact the relevant institutions to request corrections to your credit information. This will help prevent the scammer from carrying out further fraudulent activities in your name.
5. Proactively inform family and friends
After completing the reporting process, you can report immediately through the 'Scameter+'. After verification, the information will be added to the scam database for public reference. This collective effort aims to reduce the risk of scams for everyone. You can also share your experience with family and friends to warn them to stay alert and avoid similar situations. Your experience could help them steer clear of scams and prevent them from falling into the same trap.
5 anti-scam tips to help you avoid further losses
1. Check if the phone number starts with ‘#’
As insurance companies place greater emphasis on fraud prevention, all official calls or messages from insurance companies now begin with a ‘#’ symbol. This is an important indicator to help you identify whether the contact is from an official source. When receiving a call or message, pay attention to whether the number follows this pattern and always verify the authenticity of the contact.
AXA will send messages with registered sender names such as ‘#AXA’ or ‘#AXA HK’ to customers using local mobile services. If you receive a message from a known registered sender in the ‘SMS Sender Registration System’ but the number does not start with ‘#’, it could be a scam. Remember, do not trust messages or emails from unknown senders. You can also download the Emma by AXA mobile app and enable ‘Push Notifications’ to receive accurate official information.
2. Use ‘Scameter’ or ‘Scameter+ App’ for verification
There are now many resources available to help you check suspicious calls or messages, such as the ‘Scameter’ and ‘Scameter+ App’ launched by the Hong Kong Police Force's Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau. These tools can instantly tell you whether the call is risky or coming from a potential scammer. Remember, technology is a crucial tool in protecting ourselves, and actively using it can greatly reduce the chances of falling victim to scams.
3. Insurance companies will not call using pre-recorded voice messages
Insurance companies will never use pre-recorded voice messages to notify or provide important information. If you receive such a call, stay highly alert. It’s likely that scammers are using pre-recorded messages to trick you into providing sensitive information. In this situation, remember to hang up the phone and carefully verify the authenticity of the call.
4. Directly contact the insurance company for verification
If you have any doubts, the best method is to call the insurance company’s official hotline to verify the authenticity of the call. Even if the phone number seems legitimate, for safety’s sake, it’s best to proactively confirm with the insurance company to ensure that the notification or arrangement is genuine.
5. Car owners can use ‘MIDAS’
If you are a car owner, the 'MIDAS' system is a very useful tool for verifying the authenticity of your car insurance policy. Based on blockchain technology, this system helps you quickly verify whether your policy is genuine, ensuring that your policy details are secure and valid. This not only helps prevent fraud and counterfeit car insurance policies but also speeds up the renewal process. Click here to learn more about the ‘MIDAS’ application.
Other practical tips to prevent insurance scams
In addition to the anti-scam measures mentioned above, being more familiar with the standard practices of the insurance industry and staying alert are key to effectively protecting yourself and avoiding becoming a target for scammers.
1. Understand common communication methods used by insurance companies
Knowing how insurance companies typically contact you can help you identify scammers' approaches. Insurance companies will not request sensitive personal information or ask you to click on unknown links via SMS. So, when you receive a message claiming to be from an insurance company, consider whether it aligns with their usual methods of communication. You should check directly on the insurance company's official website rather than through the link in the SMS. Being aware of these basic facts can significantly reduce the chances of falling for a scam.
Additionally, insurance companies will not request sensitive information such as identity card numbers, credit card information, online banking passwords, etc. via SMS. Therefore, If you encounter requests for excessive sensitive information, it’s important to remain vigilant, as this is most likely a scam.
2. Stay calm and don’t trust callers too easily
When you receive a call from someone claiming to represent an insurance company, stay calm. Even if the caller can recite some of your personal information, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re legitimate. Scammers often use stolen information to lower your defences and trick you into revealing more sensitive information. In such situations, it’s best to stay cautious and confirm their identity before making any response. You can politely ask to reschedule the call and contact the insurance company directly via their official hotline to verify the request. Scammers often try to pressure you into acting immediately, but real insurance representatives will not push you to take urgent action without proper verification. Stay alert to avoid being misled.
3. Be extra careful when sharing personal information
No matter who the caller claims to be, never share personal information without verifying their identity first. This includes your ID number, bank card number, or any financial details. Many scammers pose as representatives of legitimate organisations to trick you into sharing such information, which can then be used for identity theft or further scams. Always confirm the identity of the person you’re speaking with before disclosing any details. This is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and avoid becoming a victim.
Learn to distinguish between real and fake, protect your financial security
When facing insurance fraud, the most important thing is to remain calm and proactively verify the authenticity of the call. Whether it's a phone call, text message, or other forms of communication, you should always handle and verify them with caution, thinking carefully about the potential consequences of each action before responding. This not only helps protect yourself but also prevents unnecessary losses. At the same time, remember to share these anti-scam tips with your family and friends to raise awareness and reduce the risk of falling victim to scams. Together, let's build a strong defence against fraud!
Source:
Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (https://www.adcc.gov.hk/en-hk/home.html)
Insurance Authority (https://www.adcc.gov.hk/en-hk/home.html)
Hong Kong Police Force (https://www.police.gov.hk/offbeat120/scam/11_hk-insurance-sms-scam-guide.html)
No warranty or responsibility is assumed by AXA Hong Kong and our related or holding companies regarding non-infringement, security, accuracy, completeness, adequacy, reasonableness, fitness for a purpose or free from computer viruses in connection with the information and materials provided. AXA Hong Kong and our related companies and holding companies do not accept any liability for any loss, damage, cost or other expense, whether wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, arising from any error, inaccuracy or omission of the information and materials to the extent that such liability is not excluded by law.
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