Warning against spam emails with cheap PKV tariffs

Consumer advocates warn against spam emails with private health insurance lock offers

17/06/2011

Next month Klaus Meyer wants to start his own business. For this he is planning a change from the statutory to the private health insurance. An email from „consumer service“ came just right. „Only 59 euros a month should cost a full insurance“, Meyer reported. That certainly was in the mail. Such and similar e-mails currently receive hundreds of thousands of Germans almost daily. Consumer advocates now warn of a wave of so-called phishing emails, which are only out to steal the data of the person concerned.

Beware of cheap PKV offers
Currently, spam emails offer extremely cheap private health insurance. The beneficiaries are offered particularly favorable tariffs of private health insurers, reports the consumer protection center North Rhine-Westphalia. To appear trustworthy, senders advertise with terms such as „consumer service“. This may possibly suggest that the mail has been sent by the Consumer Protection Center. „Many people have approached us because they believed it was an action of consumer advocates“, said the attorney general of the NRW consumer center, Dr. med. Gabriele gardener.

In the emails is spoken by so-called national insurance. For example, it says: "Private patient from 59 euros a month - the new people's insurance." Provided in the mail is a link to an alleged insurance comparison. If the recipients click on the link, they will be asked to enter their confidential data on a subsequent page. First, you should provide information such as first and last name. This is followed by the address input, email, phone number and occupation. „If you enter all the data into the mask and click on the comparison button, you will deliver your data to unknown persons“, so the warning of consumer advocates. Instead of the promised tariff comparison but you get nothing more. Therefore, the senders are just out to collect the data. For this reason, nobody should press the link, let alone fill out the online form.

Association of Private Health Insurance warns
Not only the consumer center warns against such online forms. The association of private health insurers (PKV) warns in its member magazine before the data collectors of the address trader. The dealers sell the data to numerous distributors. Under certain circumstances, consumers are subsequently bombarded with a variety of advertisements via email, post and phone calls.

That's what happened to Mr. Meyer. After he had reported the matter to the Consumer Center, he learned straight away that for a small fee there can be made an independent comparison of private health insurance. „There I was told that a full-fledged private health insurance for 59 euros per month is completely utopian“. Alone the dubious offer should sit up. „Even very cheap deals are significantly higher“. So-called lock offers have massive performance gaps. Whoever chooses a private health insurance as a freelancer, must expect at least 230 to 330 euros per month. In addition, a deductible of 100 to 1000 euros is added.

Delete advertising emails right now
Those who are affected by constant spam mails can also defend themselves. Because the dispatch of such unwanted advertising emails is forbidden by law. In most cases, the consignors are not in another EU country, so that a legal prosecution is almost impossible. Therefore, the Consumer Center will not take action against the consignor because the prospects of conviction are close to zero. Consumers should, however, have a spam filter and sufficient antivirus protection to protect the computer from viruses. Anyone who receives e-mails should simply delete them and under no circumstances open them. (Sb)

Read about:
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Increase in dissatisfaction with private health insurances

Picture: Antje Delater