Fraud and scams advice

Financial scams are unfortunately becoming increasingly common, with fraudsters targeting both individuals and businesses. We’ve put together some guidance to help you identify some of the tell-tale signs of insurance fraud and insurance scams and keep yourself protected.

What to do if you’ve been scammed

If you want to check whether a supposed Zurich Policy or Investment is genuine, or if you have paid money on the basis that Zurich is involved in a transaction and want to check that, please call us direct (see below for how to obtain our number).

If you have concerns over an approach you have received or you suspect you have already been targeted by fraudsters, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Contact your bank to report your concerns. If you believe you may have been tricked into making a payment, ask them to cancel the direct debit or other transaction. Keep a close eye on your bank account to look out for any suspicious transactions and notify the bank immediately if you spot any

Zurich Insurance scams – how to know you’re dealing with us

Scammers will sometimes claim to represent a legitimate organisation, and this could include Zurich. If you’ve received correspondence from someone claiming to be from Zurich, you may want to make sure it’s really us. Here, we explain some of the things we might do when contacting you (and why) and some of the things we would never do.

Ways we check who you are:

We’ll always ask for your personal information to verify your identity to link you to an existing plan. We’ll also do this if we need to check your relationship to a deceased customer.
We’ll ask for your bank details if there is money due to you (you’ll also have the option to receive payment by cheque).

We’ll never:

Ask for your banking passwords or one-time access codes.
Put you under pressure or make you feel uncomfortable. We’ll give you clear information and give you as much time as you need to validate our request.
Ask you to cancel and restart your plan.

Tips for verifying Zurich correspondence

If you want to check if correspondence from Zurich is genuine, you can get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to investigate and confirm if the communication is legitimate.

However, do not use the contact number shown in a communication if you have concerns it may not be genuine. Instead, find a contact number from an independent source (for example the ‘contact us’ section on our website), or the telephone number shown on your policy documents.

You can also verify correspondence in the following ways:

Check the correspondence address using an independent source (for example the ‘Zurich Office locations’ under ‘contact us’ on our website).
Check the Companies House Register for England and Wales. This will confirm the company type (e.g. life insurance company) and its registered address.
Check the Financial Services Register held by the Financial Conduct Authority. This will also confirm a company’s registered address and contact details.

However fraudsters may say that they work for Zurich, and point you to our genuine website, or even our entry on the Financial Services Register. And so always call us to check by using the number shown on our website (and not the number showing on any email, document or correspondence you have received) or the number given for us on the Financial Services Register.

Protect yourself from financial scams

The following measures can help you to keep yourself safe from fraudsters:

If you are on the phone, hang up if anyone is making you feel uncomfortable or under pressure to do what they are asking. Block the number to prevent future calls.
If you are online, think carefully about what information you share. Oversharing can make it easier for fraudsters to gather the information they need to pretend to be you. Review and update your privacy settings so only the people you want to see your profile can do so.
Update your software regularly. Whether you use a laptop, tablet or smart phone, it’s really important you’re using the latest antivirus software or operating system. When prompted, you should always update to the latest versions, which will include critical security updates to protect you against hackers, viruses, and other malware.
Use strong and memorable passwords. Weak passwords are one of the easiest ways for fraudsters to exploit people.

Useful resources for spotting and avoiding scams

The following organisations can help if you’re worried about scams or unwanted communications.

The Financial Conduct Authority has a page dedicated to protecting consumers from financial scams. It includes lists of some of the most common types of scam.
The National Cyber Security Centre has lots of advice and guidance on a wide range of cyber security topics.
Action Fraud provides a service where you can sign-up for email alerts about known scams.
If you believe you have been illegally cold called, you can report it via the Information Commissioner’s Office website or by calling the ICO on 0303 123 1113
Ofcom has put together some helpful guidance on preventing unwanted phone calls.

Zurich is not responsible for the content of external websites.