The ACPR regularly warns the public and places it in a general manner against unauthorized actors or scams.
The latest concerns Zebrance, a player located in the United States that offered automobile and multi-risk home insurance contracts: https://acpr.banque-france.fr/communique-de-presse/lacpr-met-en-garde-le-public-contre-les-activites-du-site-internet-zebrance-qui-commercialise-des
This followed in particular the excellent article by 60 Million consumers on October 30, 2023, on the same subject : https://www.60millions-mag.com/2023/10/30/zebrance-le-pseudo-assureur-qui-veut-vous-faire-les-poches-22220
The mechanism was well established since it relied on sponsored articles in the renowned mainstream press. These are, in fact, advertisements written by the author of the scam himself and that he managed to make credible enough to pass the filters of these newspapers in question.
This nevertheless raises serious questions about the analysis that the press makes of these advertising articles. While waiting for a better legal framework, perhaps one day, of these scammer advertisements in the press or on social networks, we should not take their content at face value.
Regarding insurance, it is always necessary to make sure, from the very first quote you receive, to identify the insurer carrying the risk.
It is not necessarily an easy task for a non-professional to identify the roles of their interlocutors.
For this, I offer you some tips to differentiate them by looking at their legal notices:
- Those who have a Orias number are intermediaries and are there, generally speaking, to advise you and help you choose an offer that meets your needs. These are general agents, insurance brokers, agents of agents, brokers or insurers, wealth management advisors. These are regulated professions and have strong obligations towards you. You can check their approval at any time on the L’Orias website.
- You can also contact the insurers themselves directly. They are of 3 types:
- Insurance companies (Insurance Code)
- Mutuals (Mutual Insurance Code)
- Provident institutions (Social security code)
- Foreign insurers originating exclusively from the European Union who indicate acting under the “Freedom to Provide Services”
- Banks offer insurance products through the intermediaries of their subsidiaries or partners falling into one of the previous categories.
If you have the slightest doubt about your interlocutors, the ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution) suggests consulting the register of approved actors at the following address : https://acpr.banque-france.fr/proteger-la-clientele/vous-etes-un-particulier/verifier-si-un-professionnel-est-agree-immatricule.
