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Why is our insurance broker asking for so much personal information?

My son has been asked for all manner of paperwork by his insurer (a broker), whose quote using comparison sites was £300 less than any competitor. Now they've asked for his N.I number, a copy of his V5C and his passport number. He's been driving for almost 20 years and apart from a speeding ticket a few years ago, has not been in trouble with the law or anything which might cause anyone to suspect that the identity he gave is anything other than accurate. However, we are constantly being warned of identity theft and so on. I went online to check reviews of this company, and to be fair, they could be much better. Am I being paranoid?

Asked on 6 March 2019 by Zbigniew Jackowski

Answered by Honest John
No, you are not being paranoid. Tell him to cancel the policy and go elsewhere. As long as you have been a UK citizen for five years, none of the above should be needed. If you have been here less than five years, they are trying to establish citizenship, and it is reasonable for them to do so, but they should not need all that has been requested.

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