Life insurance scams usually work by contacting you out of the blue, posing as an insurer or broker, and getting you to hand over personal or bank details or to pay for cover that does not exist. Legal & General warns that "any information you provide during an unsolicited contact could be used for the purposes of identity fraud" (Legal & General scams guide, read 1 November 2026).

A broker you asked for is safer than a caller you did not ask for. If you want that call, the form on this page sends the request, and nobody will charge you for the FCA-authorised broker's time.

What do life insurance scams look like in practice?

Emails. A message that looks like it comes from an insurer may say there is a problem with your policy, or, in Legal & General's words, that "you are a beneficiary following a life insurance payout". The aim is to get you to click a link or reply with details. If someone close to you has died and you are looking for cover they may have held, it is safer to trace it through the insurers directly, as set out in how to find a lost life insurance policy.

Calls and texts. Legal & General describes cold calls from a supposed insurer as "vishing" and fake texts as "smishing": both try to get passwords, a PIN or bank details, or to send you to a website that does. It also says it "will never cold call" its customers, which is its own policy and does not speak for other insurers.

Fake brokers and fake policies. The FCA says "ghost brokers are criminals posing as legitimate insurance brokers" who sell fake or invalid policies at seemingly cheap prices. Its own examples are mostly car insurance. With a fake policy the first you learn of it can be when a claim fails.

Clone firms. A clone firm is a copy of a genuine, authorised firm, with fraudsters pretending to work for the real one. A convincing name and logo prove nothing, which is why the contact details matter in the check below.

Mortgage protection letters and funeral plan sales have their own pages: is mortgage protection insurance legit and are funeral plans regulated by the FCA.

What are the warning signs of a life insurance fraud?

These are the warning signs the FCA gives for insurance scams:

  • The broker or insurer is not on the FCA Firm Checker.
  • They contact you through WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger or Instagram rather than professional email or a landline.
  • There is no proper website, office address or UK landline number.
  • You are pushed to buy quickly.
  • The price is far below quotes from mainstream insurers.
  • You are asked to pay by bank transfer, cryptocurrency or cash, or to pay an upfront fee.

Legal & General adds some signs from the caller's side: they cannot send proof of who they are, they say your policy needs reviewing, or they start asking for personal or financial information. In its words, "it’s best to ignore anyone who commits a life insurance scam", because talking to them or playing along could get you logged as an active lead who picks up, or lead you to give something away. On emails, look at the sender's full address and watch for spelling mistakes and requests for bank details.

How do you check a broker or insurer is genuine and FCA authorised?

Search for the firm on the FCA Firm Checker, typing the address in yourself rather than following a link you were sent. Arranging insurance is a regulated activity, so a firm offering it must be authorised and have permission for the activity. The FCA's advice is to contact the firm only through the details listed on the Checker, and to check the firm reference number and phone number or address you were given against the entry.

The fuller Financial Services Register also shows when a firm is "No longer authorised" or "Revoked": it can no longer carry out regulated activities, and it drops off the Firm Checker. If a firm turns out to be an appointed representative, it is acting for a principal firm, and you can ask the principal what it is permitted to do and how you would be protected. The mortgage protection scam check walks through the same steps in more detail.

The stakes are practical. If a firm lacks the right authorisation and permission, you will not have access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if something goes wrong, or to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you want to complain.

Unsure about cover a caller tried to sell you? Hang up, and have a broker you picked yourself ring you, via the form on this page.

Are life insurance brokers and insurers real, or are they scams?

Both exist legitimately. The FCA lists life insurance among the products a firm must be authorised to provide, so genuine insurers and brokers appear on its register, and the Firm Checker is how you tell them from imitations. Being listed shows a firm is authorised for the activity; it does not say whether a particular policy suits you. For what a broker actually does, see what a life insurance broker does, and for the questions to put to one, choosing a life insurance broker.

If you are wondering whether real policies pay out, life insurance claims statistics sets out what insurers publish about claims they have paid.

What if you have already given details or paid?

Legal & General suggests telling your insurer if your policy could be at risk, changing any passwords you have reused, and telling your bank that your financial information may have been exposed. You can report suspected phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, and, after a suspicious call, you can dial 159 for Stop Scams UK, which connects you to your bank.

For a suspected scam, the FCA's number is 0800 111 6768. If money has gone, contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, and for a ghost broker also the Insurance Fraud Bureau's Cheatline. If instead you bought from a real firm and are unhappy, see complaining about a life insurance company, and the cooling-off period if you want to cancel.

Once the scare has passed and you want real cover, a broker can go through options with you, free, on a call you book yourself with the form on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Will a genuine insurer ring me out of the blue?

Some insurers say they never will: Legal & General says it will never cold call. Whoever the caller says they are, do not rely on their say-so. If anyone asks for details, end the call and ring the number on your own policy papers or on the firm's Checker entry.

Is a very cheap policy offered on social media safe?

The FCA lists low prices, social media or messaging-app contact and upfront fees among its warning signs. Check the seller on the Firm Checker before paying anything.

Can the FCA get my money back?

No. The FCA says it cannot help you get your money back, though it looks into every report. Contact Report Fraud and your bank first, and report the scam to the FCA as well.

Sources