Watch where you buy car insurance: Regulators warn Utahns are getting ripped off with fake policies

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah’s Department of Insurance has issued a warning for anyone looking to buy coverage for their car: Scammers are using the messaging app WhatsApp to sell fake auto policies. Victims get a forged proof of insurance leading them to think they are covered – but they’re not. To make the ruse more believable, scammers use the names of real, local but unwitting agents when they contact their victims. Looking to save The scam is especially timely as Utah drivers, who’ve had to deal with continuously rising insurance rates, are looking to save. According to Bankrate, the average driver in Utah now pays a whopping $2,134 per year for full coverage. Several factors behind the spike include the post-pandemic shift to more drivers on the road and continuing parts shortages. Also at play, the on-again and off-again tariffs promising to raise prices on certain cars and parts being imported into the United States which in turn will make it more expensive to get drivers back on the road after a wreck. Though, Brent Thurman of Keystone Insurance said he’s hopeful rates will level off soon. “A couple of our carriers have actually come and said, ‘Hey, we’re
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