Young drivers are being targeted by 'ghost brokers' selling fake car insurance online, the finance watchdog has warned - a scam so transparent that the only thing missing is a bedsheet with eyeholes.
Half of drivers aged 16-25 have bought policies through social media or messaging apps, many of which are fake, research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) suggested. Because nothing says 'trustworthy financial product' like a WhatsApp message from a stranger.
Some victims are unknowingly driving without insurance, meaning they could be prosecuted, fined or have their car seized, the FCA said. In the UK, driving without valid insurance is a criminal offence - which tends to put a damper on one's weekend plans.
Often the 'policies' are suspiciously cheap, but many young drivers stretched by cost of living pressures are lured in, it added. The Insurance Fraud Bureau and insurance company Aviva have both reported an increase in ghost broking in recent years.
The FCA Firm Checker can be used to confirm a broker is authorised. Legitimate insurance brokers should have a website, phone number and address, the FCA said - the bare minimum for any business that isn't run from a burner phone.
Amie Donaghey, 21, told BBC News NI she was left with a criminal conviction after being conned by a ghost broker. She only realised she had bought a fake policy when she was stopped by police and discovered she was not insured.
Amie said she was quoted a price that was 'a fraction' of the £4,500 that high-street insurance companies were charging. When Amie tried to contact the 'broker' after realising she had been scammed, she said he 'ghosted' her. 'I was blocked on everything,' she said. The irony of being ghosted by a ghost broker is presumably lost on her.
The FCA, which surveyed 1,000 drivers, said many ghost brokers pose as legitimate insurance sellers but offer cheap rates. The policies are often completely bogus, are invalid because they falsify information to bring the price down, or are cancelled soon after purchase.
Graeme Reynolds, director of insurance at the FCA, said that 'tight budgets make cheap offers tempting - and scammers take advantage of that'. 'Don't get ghosted by a policy that doesn't exist. Check the FCA Firm Checker before you buy. Driving uninsured could cost you far more than any premium.'
The FCA is working with social media influencers to warn young drivers about the growing threat of ghost broking - because if you can't trust the person who shills detox tea to give you financial advice, who can you trust?