Summary of this article
Irdai flags fake Bima Bharosa website impersonating its insurance grievance registration platform.
Policyholders should avoid sharing personal, financial, KYC details, passwords or OTPs.
Use Irdai’s official Bima Bharosa portal to register or track complaints.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has flagged as fake a website that claims to offer insurance grievance registration services. Irdai has said the website is unauthorised.
The fake website claims to present itself as an Irdai-related platform for registering insurance complaints.
What Irdai Says
According to an Irdai public notice, the regulator has come across igmsirdai.online, including a page at igmsirdai.online/register-complaint, which claims to provide grievance registration services.
Irdai has said that the website is not its official platform. It further said that the matter is being examined and action is being initiated or taken under applicable law.
The insurance regulator has asked policyholders not to access the website or register insurance complaints through it. It has also cautioned people against sharing personal, policy-related, financial, banking, know-your-customer (KYC) or OTP information through the platform.
Irdai has further cautioned people against making payments or sharing passwords, banking credentials, OTPs or other confidential information in response to communications received through such websites.
The regulator has also made it clear that websites using its name or identity should not automatically be treated as being connected with the authority. Any such association should be verified before a person shares information or uses the platform to raise an insurance grievance.
How Policyholders Should Stay Safe
For insurance grievances, policyholders should use the regulator’s official Bima Bharosa portal at www.bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in to register or track complaints.
The advisory is not limited to websites. Irdai has also asked people to be careful with emails, messages, phone calls and other communications that use the regulator’s name, logo or terminology, or claim to be associated with Irdai without verification.
People who have already shared personal, policy or financial information through the unauthorised website should take necessary steps to protect themselves. Where required, they should also report the matter to the appropriate cybercrime or law-enforcement authorities.
The regulator has urged the public to verify an Irdai-related website before using it for a grievance or sharing any information. Irdai has also said it will not be responsible for losses, disclosure of information or other consequences arising from interaction with unauthorised or fraudulent websites impersonating the regulator.
