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In the last few years, authorities and lawmakers in Florida have taken aim at the rampant wave of auto insurance fraud that has been observed in the state for some time. This has come in a number of different ways, and the most recent effort is about as direct as one can get. While those on the right side of the law are trying to curb this kind of fraud, it might be wise for auto insurance agents to educate consumers about how negative the impact such crime can have on even the best drivers' coverage costs.

Police in the greater Miami cities of Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, and Medley recently began a crackdown on auto insurance fraud related to bogus proof of insurance, according to a report from CBS Miami. The state mandates that all drivers have some sort of insurance coverage for their vehicles, but many people choose to forge their insurance cards instead, and it's become a major problem in the metro Miami area. The average driver in South Florida who lives in a two-vehicle home probably pays as much as $300 more per year for their plans just because of this type of fraud.

""If you have a printer and you have a computer, you can download a fake insurance card and it looks real. You can put your name on it and you can get away with this temporarily,"" Hialeah Police spokesman Carl Zogby told the station.

How did the operation work?
In one day, the authorities pulled over many drivers for all kinds of offenses, and actually looked into those people's proof of insurance, the report said. Two people were found to be driving with fraudulent insurance cards, and 27 more were arrested for other reasons.

When consumers understand more about their auto insurance policies, they tend to feel better about them as a whole, even if costs are on the rise. For this reason, insurance agents who can explain the ins and outs of coverage, what affects costs, and what people can do to access some of the discounts are typically going to be the ones who have the highest customer satisfaction ratings. That, in turn, is likely to lead to higher rates of both retention and recommendation, so taking this kind of initiative regularly can really pay off in the long run.

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