Updated8. October 2024, 07:37
Forgery of documents: Brazen insurance advisor signs contracts himself
In order to change health insurance, an insurance advisor copied and forged signatures. He was convicted of multiple counts of forging documents.
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After a consultation, an insurance advisor forged the signatures of a family of six.
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He wanted to have the change of health insurance company credited as sales.
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The public prosecutor sentenced him to a conditional fine of 20,160 francs.
It would have been every insurance advisor’s dream deal: After a successful consultation, a family of six from the Bern area agreed to the proposed change of health insurance company. Two family members even signed the cancellation of their old insurance immediately during the conversation.
Sixfold forgery of documents
The hefty commission for signing the contract six times was already within reach for the then 28-year-old insurance consultant. But he was apparently afraid that the new contracts might still fall through and the family might back out. When asked by 20 Minutes, he did not want to make a statement about the exact motives.
The penalty order from the Bern-Mittelland public prosecutor’s office shows that after the consultation, he did not send the family the new contracts to sign as promised. Rather, he completed this on his own initiative. He copied two signatures and imitated or forged the remaining four. According to the penalty order, this was done on purpose in order to have the change in health insurance company credited as generated sales.
Bern: 20,160 francs conditional fine
The public prosecutor’s office declared the insurance advisor guilty of multiple counts of forging documents. He will be punished with a conditional fine of 72 daily rates of 280 francs each, for a total of 20,160 francs. In addition, there are connecting buses and fees amounting to 5,540 francs. The insurance company was unable to answer the question of whether the 28-year-old continues to work as an insurance advisor for data protection reasons compared to 20 Minutes.
Disincentives through commission model?
Cases like this raise the question of whether the commission model commonly used by insurance companies can lead advisors to commit fraud. The Swiss Insurance Association (SVV) speaks of an isolated case. The model has fundamentally proven itself in Switzerland and helps to provide the necessary advice for people who rarely deal with pension issues. “Without the commission model that exists today, the amount of advice offered would probably be too small, which could lead to insurance gaps,” says the SVV. The insurance company concerned did not want to comment on the possible pressure that the commission model could put on the consultants.
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