'Sure, tell me about the warranty on my '46 Buick': Roadshow [Mercury News]

Feb. 20—Q: When scammers call about an , I've been hitting the "1" and getting a live person. When they ask what car I have under the warranty, I say a '46 Buick. They hang up fast.

Cheryl Causey

A: And ....

Q: My robocalls have moved on from auto warranties to helping with my student loan. I don't have any loans.

G.W.

A: There may be help from Sacramento to hurt these annoying scammers in their pocketbooks.

State Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) has introduced legislation to help those victimized by insurance scams, including illegal "We are trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty" robocalls. The legislation would help victims recover their losses from sellers of insurance not licensed by the California Department of Insurance.

SB 1040 would give the insurance commissioner the ability to order restitution to consumers from unlicensed sellers of insurance who are breaking California laws, leading to greater repayments to consumers. The Department of Insurance estimates that unlicensed activity costs Californians millions of dollars every year.

For example, Californians have paid thousands of dollars for illegally sold extended warranties from unlicensed companies, only to have claims improperly denied. Then they have to pay again for expensive repairs. Individual losses of several thousand dollars per victim can add up to massive fraud.

Under current law, the insurance commissioner can order unlicensed sellers to to pay a fine of up to $5,000 per day, but cannot order them to repay consumers for losses that they caused, such as direct premiums they misappropriated and financial losses that the consumer suffered when they believed they were otherwise covered by insurance.

Investigations by the Department of Insurance have revealed numerous instances of insurance premium theft, embezzlement, and fraud by unlicensed sellers targeting vulnerable communities, such as seniors, immigrants, and underrepresented communities.

Q: I was very disappointed to read that the San Jose City Council has near the airport. These billboards are a danger to drivers, possibly pilots, and Mt. Hamilton observations. Gary, mobilize the troops! Plug the dikes!

Mary Cahill

A: They don't need me to rally the opposition. There's already an army of it.

Q: You didn't hear it from me, but I know a guy who knows a guy whose cousin told him about a guy who intentionally puts police alerts on Waze when there are no cops around! Evidently he doesn't go overboard with the false alerts, but uses them just enough in critically dangerous locations to slow down some of the idiots.

Phil from Concord

A: And now, more guys will know guys who know guys whose cousins told them about a guy ...

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