Jul 24, 2015 10:06 PM
42463 Views
(Updated Sep 21, 2015 01:54 PM)
It is a known fact that insurance agents resort to blatant lies, mis-selling, as well as pressure tactics(like you need to buy an insurance policy for bank loans, locker, etc.) to meet their sales targets. It does not matter what the customers' requirements are, you can always'trust' an agent to sell the most irrelevant and expensive policy, without any concern for your personal financial plans.
PNB Metlife, however, has gone a step further. They actually encourage their telecallers to defraud existing or former clients, while still not officially breaking the law.
I happen to be a former policy holder of PNB Metlife India. I held a ULIP policy of Metlife, which was surrendered a few months ago, and all payable benefits duly obtained into my bank account through NEFT transfer. My policy no. is 1200900853572. I took out this policy through Axis Bank, and my agent was Mr. Hiranyava Biswas. All of this investment was done through proper channel without any financial irregularities.
However, for the past few months I have received regular phone calls from a person who claims to be a customer care executive of PNB Metlfe India. He apparently knows my name and address details, and also the fact that I am a former client of Metlife. He wanted to know the exact amount of money that I received following the surrender of my ULIP policy. I was a bit suspicious, so I did not give him the details. Next he asked me details about my reasons for taking out a ULIP poilcy and reasons for closing it.
By this time, I was fairly confused and suspicious so I did not discuss everything. Subsequently, this person tried to entice me by saying that one of the Metlife agents, named Niraj Kumar, had forged my signature, and siphoned off some additional benefit of Rs. 35000, to an account of Bank of India, which the company intended to pay me. He apparently tried to convince me that I could possibly claim this benefit somehow. This sounded highly irregular, so I only told him to send me whatever offers or suggestions he had over email(that would also reveal his IP address) to my registered email address.Another irregularity was that he called my alternate mobile number, which was not my personal cellphone number. He never contacted me in my own cellphone number- 9051944272.
The number that he called from is 9136668167. I have used internet resources to verify that this is a MTS connection from Delhi circle. This is also suspicious, because, PNB Metlife is headquartered in Bangalore, not NCR. I have cross-checked this number from the database of all contact nos. of all Metlife branches in Delhi-NCR, and none match with it.
I would have believed that this person is a rogue insurance agent or advisor, acting on the basis of leaked customer information, to offer another insurance policy. However, certain events that followed have convinced me that this person is probably a bonafide Metlife employee, possibly encouraged by his employer or superiors to try off-hand tactics to hardsell a policy.
I contacted the Metlife HQ in Bangalore, and subsequently, their customer service, informing them of this fraud attempt. Firstly, they tried to downplay this issue, instead offering to send an advisor to my address to'suggest' some new policies. When I insisted that I wanted to go ahead with a complaint, they advised me to provide a written complaint at one of their branches, along with self-attested copy of ID proof(imagine the callousness! They will send their agent to customer's home to sell a policy, but when it comes to complaints, let the customer do all the running around). But the strangest thing is, from the very day I made this complaint, this mobile number was unreachable or switched off from the next day. It was obvious that someone had given this caller a warning about my complaint. Metlife never showed any interest in pursuing this issue.
This is even more disgusting now. On 12th September, 2015, I received another call from a number 1203050300 on my mobile no 9830580141. I know Metlife's standard answer to such fraud attempts, so I asked the caller to give proof that he was a Metlife employee.
His answer: My own name My nominee name My address My date of birth All this were correct, an info available only with PNB Metlife.( I later called up PNB Metlife customer care that some agent or employee has leaked these details, which means PNB Metlife is an irresponsible company which cannot secure customer information).
Now I asked the caller to give details about his location and who authorized him to call me.
He repeatedly told me that this was a "service" call about a missed "bonus".
His details:
Name of Akaash Sharma
Office location Borivoli, Mumbai
I checked the number, it has location of Dadri, Ghaziabad and service provider is Reliance Communications.
Wonderful! Another call from PNB Cheater India Insurance Ltd. This time the details are as follows:
Call to my number 9830580141
Number 1204692300
Caller name(claimed) Amitabh Chaudhuri
Actual location Dadri, Ghaziabad
Service provider is Bharti Airtel
Date is 21st Sep, 2015, around 1:15 pm in the afternoon(probably trying to nail a client before going on lunch break)
The caller claims that he has details about another policy that I took out on 2010( accurately gives me policy number and annual premium value).
I ask for more details for verification, especially First holder name and address, as well as nominee name. Keeps repeating that I missed out on "bonus". Finally, I tell this guy that I am looking at the phone number location of Ghaziabad and service provider Airtel. He immediately cuts off.
Go on, Metlife. Tell me none of these numbers belong to you I would love to hear Metlife's explanation about this episode
My question to PNB Metlife is: How come a fraud caller has access to customer details? If I file an FIR and then approach Reliance Communications and Airtel, they will divulge all customer details. I am convinced that the number will be that of a Metlife agent. So how come you people deny your involvement? The only explanation is that you are a fraud company, and use all legal loopholes, isn't it?
