IRDAI Cautions Public Against Unauthorised Website Posing as Its Grievance Portal
IRDAI has warned the public against an unauthorised website posing as its insurance grievance portal. Policyholders are urged to avoid sharing personal or financial details.
IRDAI flags an unauthorised website impersonating its Bima Bharosa/IGMS grievance system and warns against sharing sensitive data.
IRDAI: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Friday issued a public notice cautioning policyholders and members of the public against a website, “igmsirdai.online,” that the regulator said is presenting itself as an IRDAI-linked platform for registering insurance grievances and complaints
IRDAI said it had come across the website, along with associated webpages including one titled “register-complaint,” which appear to project themselves as being connected to the regulator’s official grievance redressal infrastructure — the Bima Bharosa portal and the Integrated Grievance Management System (IGMS).
IRDAI: Regulator says site has no official standing
IRDAI stated in the notice that the website in question is not an official IRDAI website. The regulator said the matter is being examined internally and that appropriate action is being initiated, or has already been taken, in accordance with applicable law. The notice did not identify any person or organisation behind the website, and IRDAI did not disclose further specifics of the ongoing examination.
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IRDAI: Notice details the modus operandi
According to the notice, the website carries webpages designed to resemble a genuine complaint-registration interface, including a dedicated page for lodging grievances. IRDAI did not specify how many complaints, if any, have been filed through the site, or whether any financial loss has been reported so far. The notice did not name the entity or individuals operating the domain.
IRDAI: Advisory to policyholders
IRDAI has advised policyholders and other stakeholders against accessing, registering complaints on, or submitting any personal, policy-related, financial, banking, KYC, OTP or other sensitive information on the flagged website, or on any other website claiming to represent IRDAI, without first verifying its authenticity.
The regulator further advised against making any payment or sharing banking or financial credentials, passwords, OTPs, or other confidential information in response to communications received through such websites. IRDAI also asked the public to exercise caution regarding any website, email, message or telephone call that misuses its name, logo, identity or terminology, or otherwise represents itself as being associated with IRDAI without proper verification.
IRDAI: What those who shared data should do
The notice separately addresses individuals who may have already submitted personal, policy or financial information through the website named in the advisory. Such persons have been advised to take appropriate precautionary measures and, where necessary, to report the matter to the relevant cybercrime or law-enforcement authorities.
IRDAI stated that it will not be held responsible for any loss, disclosure of information, or other consequences arising from interactions with unauthorised or fraudulent websites that impersonate the regulator.
IRDAI: Only one official channel, says regulator
IRDAI reiterated in the notice that the sole official platform for registering or tracking insurance-related grievances with the regulator is the Bima Bharosa portal, accessible at www.bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in. Policyholders with insurance-related complaints have been directed to use this portal exclusively.
The regulator asked members of the public to remain vigilant and to assist in preventing misuse of its identity and its grievance redressal mechanism. The notice states that it has been issued in the interest of the general public and for the protection of policyholders’ interests.
IRDAI: Background
IRDAI operates the Integrated Grievance Management System (IGMS) and the Bima Bharosa portal as its official channels for consumer complaints against insurers and other regulated entities in the Indian insurance sector. Regulatory bodies in India, including IRDAI, have periodically issued advisories warning the public against websites and communications that misuse official branding to solicit personal or financial information. The regulator has not, in this notice, provided a timeline for the completion of its examination of the matter or indicated whether it has approached law-enforcement agencies directly.
