The issue with auto insurance fraud isn’t just that you could lose money if you’re involved in an accident, but also that you’ll be breaking the law if you don’t have legitimate insurance in force. So although the need to save money on insurance is understandable, don’t make it into the most expensive saving you’ve ever had.

First and foremost, don’t let a good price blind you to other considerations. You aren’t only buying coverage – you’re buying service and support. And what kind of support are you going to get from a company that you’ve never heard of? It will pay off in the long run to do a little checking before you choose a car insurance company.

Fortunately, there’s an easy place to begin all of your checking – the state insurance commissioner’s office. For an insurance company of any size to do business in any state, they have to register with the commissioner’s office. Not only does the state insurance commissioner’s office handle the registration, they also handle any complaints. In the event of any fraudulent activity, they’ll be some of the first people to know about it.

There’s a chance that you may be doubly lucky. Some states have a particularly strong insurance commissioner’s offices. Others are particularly pro-active in dealing with fraud. Criminals tend to avoid these states, reducing your chances of experiencing auto insurance fraud.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t limit the actions of a fraudulent company that’s acting on a national level. However, that really won’t matter, because the state will still have the ability to act on any case within the state lines. And they’re going to be delighted to act on your behalf. That’s why their offices exist, after all.

So talk to prospective insurance companies about rates and terms, but sign nothing – including a check – until you’ve made that call to the insurance commissioner. Even a clean bill of health from that office may not protect you against fraud by an agent, who may claim to represent a company when they actually don’t.

If you have any doubts about a particular agent, call the parent company. Your judgment should be trusted, but a more common warning sign is the failure to receive documents, like your insurance card, in a timely manner. In either case, call the company directly. They’re going to be very interested that an agent is using their name to act fraudulently.

But don’t think that the insurance commissioner won’t be able to act against an individual agent. They have just as much authority with a person as with a company. In fact, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call both. It’s hard to say which will act faster, but there’s no reason not to notify both.

Auto insurance companies are selling reputation as much as service and coverage. Reputable companies with a national profile are invested in keeping fraud to a bare minimum. They, as well as the state insurance commissioners’ offices, want to know if you have become a victim of auto insurance fraud.