CHARLOTTE — A small business owner is out nearly $2,000 after criminals sold her an insurance policy that did not exist.
Consumer advisor Clark Howard breaks down the warning signs she missed and how you can avoid getting taken.
Mari Gomez said less than a week after she acquired a license for her cleaning business, she received a call.
“And they were like, ‘Oh, we got this new contract, this new contract for 110 homes,’” Gomez said.
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But first, she would need to purchase liability insurance to receive the help she needed.
“This is why he tells me to go to the lady from Coast Insurance,” Gomez explained.
From there, Nicole Diaz told her that she was an agent with the company and was able to get Gomez a policy, but she would have to make a downpayment to a Chase bank first.
Gomez then made the payment with her debit card. However, hours later, all communication was seized.
“I called 1-800-CHASE, and I told him, “Oh my God, I just made a $1,750 down payment for insurance. And I just realized this, like, scam or something,’” Gomez said.
When Howard reached out to Coastal Insurance, the company said Nicole Diaz was not an employee of theirs, and they receive multiple calls each day from people who have been scammed.
Supervisory special agent Aaron Sears explained how artificial intelligence has made these scams easier for crooks.
“You’re going to get examples. You are going to get things that can help you be a fraudster. Whereas before, you had to do it all on your own,” Sears said.
In Gomez’s case, because she made the deposit with her debit card, Chase was not responsible.
“‘We cannot credit you because this is not a fraud, that this is a scam.’ That’s what they told me,” Gomez explained.
However, there are ways to protect yourself.
Do not answer calls from unknown numbers, even if the caller’s ID has a legitimate company name. Also, if someone is offering you a service for your business, check them out while also getting quotes from others.
“Be vigilant. If it doesn’t look like a legitimate plan, it looks too good to be true. Just don’t spend your money. Give it a second thought,” Sears echoed.
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