Life Insurance Fraud

Life insurance fraud can be committed against insurance companies or by insurers against beneficiaries. It includes acts by people to get insurance benefits or proceeds they aren’t entitled to. Life insurance fraud also includes acts by insurers to deny benefits to people the companies have insured.

Terry Turner, writer and researcher for RetireGuide
  • Written by
    Terry Turner

    Terry Turner

    Senior Financial Writer and Financial Wellness Facilitator

    Terry Turner has more than 35 years of journalism experience, including covering benefits, spending and congressional action on federal programs such as Social Security and Medicare. He is a Certified Financial Wellness Facilitator through the National Wellness Institute and the Foundation for Financial Wellness and a member of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE®).

    Read More
  • Edited By
    Matt Mauney
    Matt Mauney, Senior Editor for RetireGuide

    Matt Mauney

    Financial Editor

    Matt Mauney is an award-winning journalist, editor, writer and content strategist with more than 15 years of professional experience working for nationally recognized newspapers and digital brands. He has contributed content for ChicagoTribune.com, LATimes.com, The Hill and the American Cancer Society, and he was part of the Orlando Sentinel digital staff that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017.

    Read More
  • Financially Reviewed By
    Eric Estevez
    Eric Estevez, Independent Licensed Life Insurance Agent

    Eric Estevez

    Owner of HLC Insurance Broker, LLC

    Eric Estevez is a duly licensed independent insurance broker and a former financial institution auditor with more than a decade of professional experience. He has specialized in federal, state and local compliance for both large and small businesses.

    Read More
  • Published: January 19, 2021
  • Updated: May 23, 2023
  • 13 min read time
  • This page features 8 Cited Research Articles
Fact Checked
Fact Checked

A qualified expert reviewed the content on this page to ensure it is factually accurate, meets current industry standards and helps readers achieve a better understanding of retirement topics.

Cite Us
How to Cite RetireGuide.com's Article

APA Turner, T. (2023, May 23). Life Insurance Fraud. RetireGuide.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://www.retireguide.com/life-insurance/fraud/

MLA Turner, Terry. "Life Insurance Fraud." RetireGuide.com, 23 May 2023, https://www.retireguide.com/life-insurance/fraud/.

Chicago Turner, Terry. "Life Insurance Fraud." RetireGuide.com. Last modified May 23, 2023. https://www.retireguide.com/life-insurance/fraud/.

Key Takeaways
  • Life insurance fraud can be committed by policyholders, insurance agents, scammers and other third parties.
  • Some of the most common instances of life insurance fraud include claims fraud, agent fraud, fake policy schemes and forgery.
  • Avoid becoming a victim of life insurance fraud by being wary of deals that are too good to be true and researching the insurance seller’s credentials.

What Is Life Insurance Fraud?

Insurance fraud includes any action which defrauds a life insurance process. It includes actions by the insured or the insurer which break the terms of a life insurance contract or cheats in a way that lets one or the other illegally gain benefits they are not entitled to.

Fraud can be a crime or can be as simple as lying on your life insurance application.

If you suspect insurance fraud, you should report it to state and federal law enforcement. Serious cases of life insurance fraud can be prosecuted.

Did You Know?
Life insurance fraud is estimated to cost as much as $10 billion to $20 billion a year, according to the Reinsurance Group of America. A survey of professionals in the life insurance industry estimated that 1 percent to 3 percent of all life insurance claims are either investigated for fraud or misrepresentation or are denied outright.

The overall insurance industry in the United States involves more than 7,000 companies collecting $1 trillion in premiums every year. The size of the industry and its revenue make it a ripe target for fraud.

The FBI estimates insurance fraud costs the average American household $400 to $700 in higher premiums every year.

Examples of Life Insurance Fraud

There are several types of life insurance fraud that can be committed by the policyholder, insurance agents, scammers and other third parties.

Not all insurance fraud is serious enough to be prosecuted as a crime, but you may be punished with having to pay higher premiums, cancellation of your policy or being denied coverage with a new policy.

Most Common Examples of Life Insurance Fraud
Insurance Claims Fraud
This can include cases in which a beneficiary kills the insured to get an insurance payout. It may also include other questionable deaths where the death may appear to have been staged or involve a fake identity of the deceased to get a payout.
Agent Fraud
Legitimate insurance agents may commit fraud including stealing premium payments or lying about the coverage in a policy you buy.
Churning
This is a type of agent fraud in which the agent replaces your existing policy with a new one from another company to earn an additional commission on the sale.
Twisting
Similar to churning, this involves an agent replacing your existing life insurance policy with another policy from the same company to earn an extra commission.
Fake Policy Schemes
These are scams in which con artists masquerading as insurance agents sell fake life insurance policies. The scammers take the premiums with no plans to ever pay benefits.
Forgery
This tends to happen when someone other than the policyholder forges documents to change the ownership of the life insurance policy or change who is named as beneficiaries to the policy.
Jumbo Violations
Jumbo violations are cases of total life insurance coverage that goes over a specific limit on how much life insurance you can buy.
Stacking
This involves buying several different life insurance policies with lower payouts that, combined, add up to a large amount of coverage. By buying lower coverage policies, the policyholder avoids the life insurance underwriting scrutiny that comes with larger policies.
Rebating
It’s illegal in most states for an agent to return part of your premium of the agent’s commission or pay you in some other way to get you to go with a particular insurance company.
False Policy Application
Simply putting false or misleading information — including your income or net worth — in your application can constitute life insurance fraud. If your interview doesn’t match with the results of your life insurance medical exam, that can put investigators on the trail of possible fraud.
Suspicious Policy Application
This includes suspicious timing of taking out a life insurance policy shortly before the insured’s death. Investigators may look into murder-for-hire schemes or hidden information about the insured’s health.
3 Minute Quiz: Can You Retire Comfortably?
Take our free quiz & match with a financial advisor in 3 easy steps.
Tailored to your goals. Near you or online.

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Life Insurance Fraud

The first step to avoid becoming a victim of life insurance fraud is to be a cautious consumer. You should check a seller’s credentials, ask questions and look out for signs of fraud.

Tips to Avoid Life Insurance Fraud
Beware of Low Premiums
You can save money by shopping around, but if it sounds too good to be true, it may be. Ask questions, settle for nothing less than detailed answers and call the insurance company’s home office to get more information if you think it’s a scam.
Be wary of phone or door-to-door sales
These practices are often used by unlicensed companies or scammers. Get a physical address and confirm with your state insurance commission that the company and agent are licensed.
Check out the agent’s license
Contact your state’s insurance commission to confirm that your agent is licensed and his or her license is up to date. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has contact information for each state’s office.
Don’t rush
Take as much time as you need to shop for the best life insurance policy at the best price. Don’t let an agent rush you into buying a policy. Be suspicious if an agent is evasive about answering your questions about premiums, prices, coverage or payout arrangements.
Keep Your Documents Safe
Make sure you keep your actual policy and any other insurance-related documents in a secure location. This should include advertisements mailed to you, premium payment receipts and information about any life insurance claims. It’s also smart to keep notes of any telephone conversations you have with your agent or insurance company representatives.
Pay by Check or Credit Card
You want to be able to verify your life insurance payments. Checks and credit cards make that easy. Be suspicious if an agent tells you that you have to pay by cash. If you do pay with cash, make sure you have a receipt that shows the company’s name, the date and how much you paid.

Elderly consumers are frequent targets of scammers. If you suspect an older relative is being scammed, report it to your local police.

There are also several nonprofit, public interest and government agencies that can provide a wealth of consumer information about protecting yourself from various types of insurance fraud.

Consumer Resources for Insurance Fraud Information
Advertisement

How to Report Life Insurance Fraud

If you suspect you or someone you know is the victim of life insurance fraud, you should report it immediately.

Where to Report Suspected Insurance Fraud

You can report life insurance fraud through the National Insurance Crime Bureau or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Never miss important news or updates

Get successful retirement tips in our free weekly newsletter

Last Modified: May 23, 2023
Advertisement

8 Cited Research Articles

  1. Texas Department of Insurance. (2020, December 12). Insurance Fraud Guide. Retrieved from https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb044.html
  2. Callaway, J., et al. (2016). Investigating Life Insurance Fraud and Abuse: Uncovering the Challenges Facing Insurers. Retreived from https://www.rgare.com/docs/default-source/newsletters-articles/fraud-white-paper.pdf?sfvrsn=a7ffa688_0
  3. Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. (n.d.). Fraud Stats. Retrieved from https://insurancefraud.org/fraud-stats/
  4. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Insurance Fraud. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/insurance-fraud
  5. New York State Department of Financial Services. (n.d.). Report Suspected Insurance Fraud. Retrieved from https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/scams_schemes_frauds/insurance_fraud_avoid_becoming_a_victim
  6. New York State Department of Financial Services. (n.d.). What Is Insurance Fraud? Retrieved from https://www.dfs.ny.gov/complaints/report_fraud
  7. California Department of Insurance. (n.d.). What Is Insurance Fraud? Retrieved from http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0300-fraud/0100-fraud-division-overview/05-ins-fraud/index.cfm#life
  8. California Department of Insurance. (n.d.). Insurance Fraud Is a Felony. Retrieved from http://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/15-gen/insur-fraud-is-felony.cfm