DMV tells Penn Yan woman to surrender plates after fraudulent GEICO policy opened by thief

There’s a scam that you should be on the lookout for involving your personal information and vehicle.

It involves thieves using stolen personal information to buy auto insurance policies, which then allows them to access even more private information.

Penn Yan resident Kathy Bower shared her story with News10NBC. What happened? She was one of thousands of New Yorkers who are victimized by a scam where the cyber thief purchased an insurance policy.

Days ago, she received a threatening letter from the state Department of Motor Vehicle.

“So that letter just basically said that GEICO had terminated my insurance on 3/19 and I had not notified the DMV, and I had to surrender my plates,” Bower said.

GEICO informed the DMV that Bower didn’t pay the insurance policy that the thief bought in her name. The thief used Bower’s name, but not her address, according to News10NBC, who said that Bower never received bills from the insurance company.

While the Penn Yan woman was originally threatened with vehicle impoundment and more- her own insurance company proved to be pivotal in getting the entire mess sorted out.

A representative from her insurance provider called DMV and notified them that she was then, and had always been, in good standing- despite the policy open dup by the thief.

Experts say this is another good reason to ensure that you have proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times.

Staff Report

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