How to Check if Your Car Insurance is Genuine or Fake

Why Car Insurance Verification Matters Before You Drive

Since there’s a rapid increase in the instances of fake car insurance policy issuance, you must validate the policy’s authenticity before driving your car on Indian roads. Every car should have valid insurance as per Indian laws.

If you’re ever caught driving a car with a fake or invalid insurance policy, it will be considered a violation of the law, attracting hefty fines. Driving with a fake policy can also lead to claim denials after a road accident, increasing your financial losses.

Hence, ensure you do an online car insurance verification before driving. We’ve shared online insurance verification methods in the next section.
 

How to Check Car Insurance Online in Minutes: Steps for Policy Validity Check

If you’ve recently purchased or renewed your car insurance policy, you can check its validity using any of the following methods.

Check the Insurer’s Official Website

You should visit the insurer’s official website, navigate to ‘customer login,’ and enter your details to log into your account. If the policy is genuine and registered with the insurer, the policy details will display on the dashboard once you’ve logged in.

Verify the Insurance Status on the Parivahan Portal

Anyone wanting to verify their policy status through government records can use this method. Visit the official VAHAN Parivahan portal and navigate to ‘Know Your Vehicle Details’ under the ‘Informational Services’ tab. Log in/create an account using your registered mobile number and OTP verification.

Once logged in, you can check the insurance policy’s authenticity using your vehicle registration number. It will display information, such as the insurer’s name and the insurance policy’s validity period.

Contact the Insurer’s Customer Support

It’s the simplest method to check car insurance validity. Visit the insurer’s official website and contact their customer support via email, toll-free number, or the built-in contact form on the website.

If you’ve purchased a digital insurance policy from Shriram General Insurance, you can call us at 1800-300-30000 (for policyholders) and 1800-103-3009 (others) to confirm the policy validity. Ensure you have details, such as the policy number, car’s registration number, etc., handy as they will be needed for online insurance verification.
 

Common Signs of a Fake Insurance Policy: Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore

Whether you’re purchasing a new policy or proceeding with insurance renewal, always check for the following signs to identify if the policy is fake or genuine.

Premium Seems Unusually Low

Scammers often use steep discounts to provide lower premiums that are hard to match. If you come across a policy with a substantially lower premium that’s unusual in the current insurance landscape, treat it as a warning sign.

Policy Cannot be Verified with the Insurer

One of the strongest warning signs is when the insurer cannot locate your policy using the policy number, vehicle registration number, or registered mobile number. A genuine policy will always be traceable through the insurer’s official records shortly after policy issuance.

Payment to a Personal Account

If someone contacts you pretending to be an insurer’s representative for insurance policy renewal and asks you to pay the premium to a personal UPI ID or bank account, consider it a warning sign. Premiums are always paid through an insurer’s official payment gateway, not to any personal account.

You’ve Received a PDF Without any Official Confirmation

Fake policies are usually sent through personal numbers or email IDs as a regular PDF file. Genuine policies are always accompanied by confirmation through the insurer’s official communication channels.

The communication is almost instant, and the shared policy details are immediately reflected in the insurer’s official records.

Quality Issues & Spelling Errors

Many fabricated policy documents usually have spelling mistakes, wrong company information, and vague policy terms. Even the quality of the policy document is poor. You may notice blurry company logos, missing company seals, uneven text font, and other errors that are never present in official policy documents.
 

Insurance Renewal Checklist for Genuine Coverage

Several fake policy scams occur during insurance policy renewal wherein fraudsters contact vehicle owners claiming their insurance is about to expire. If your policy is due for renewal, stick to the following checklist while making the payment.

Renew Through an Authorised Source

If you’re renewing your policy through an agent, always check their authenticity before proceeding. For instance, if you’re renewing a car insurance policy issued by Shriram General Insurance, check whether the agent’s details are listed on the official website.

We have published a list of both authorised agents and blacklisted agents on our website. You can use it to verify the agent’s credentials before proceeding.

Match the Coverage Details Before Making a Payment

Unless you’ve made changes to the coverage terms, ensure the policy has similar coverage as before. Preview the policy number, coverage, add-ons, validity period, and other key details before making a payment. If you find any mismatch or error, immediately contact the insurer.

Make Payment Through an Official Channel

While renewing, make the premium payment to the insurer’s official account. Never agree to pay the premium on a personal UPI ID, bank account, or digital wallet. The simplest way is to log in to the insurer’s website and renew by making a payment through the insurer’s official payment gateway.

Check the Policy Details Immediately After Renewal

Once you’ve made the premium payment for insurance policy renewal, immediately check if the renewal is successful and is reflected in the insurer’s records. When renewing through an authorised source, you’ll receive the renewal confirmation directly on your registered contact details, such as email ID and mobile, through SMS.

If you don’t receive it, either call the insurer’s customer support team or log in using your credentials to confirm the policy renewal. It will help you take relevant actions at the right time if renewal fails.
 

 

Conclusion

As a car owner, you should prioritise car insurance verification right after policy purchase or renewal. It can prevent avoidable financial losses and legal complexities in the future. You can use any method listed in this blog for a car insurance validity check.

If you want your car to get secured under a dependable policy, you should explore our Comprehensive Car Insurance plan. We provide a quick, paperless, and smooth policy purchase/renewal experience for people’s convenience.

FAQs

1. How can I purchase a genuine car insurance policy?

Visit the insurer’s official website to purchase a policy online directly. If you want to purchase it through an agent, always verify the agent’s credentials before proceeding.

2. What are some warning signs pointing towards a fake car insurance policy?

An unusually low premium, vague policy terms, and no confirmation of policy purchase/renewal from the insurer’s official communication channels are some of the biggest warning signs of a fake car insurance policy.

3. Can I transfer the premium amount to my agent’s personal UPI account?

No, you should never make payments to an agent’s personal account. Payment should be made directly to the insurer’s account through their official payment gateway.

4. How do I verify the authenticity of my recently purchased car insurance policy?

You can verify the authenticity of the policy by directly checking it on the insurer’s website. Log in to your customer account and check whether the policy appears on the dashboard.

You can also contact the insurer’s customer support and get the policy verified using your car registration number, policy number, and registered mobile number.

5. Is online insurance verification necessary before driving my car?

Yes, you should verify the policy’s authenticity and validity before driving your car. It will help you prevent financial losses and legal complexities.