INSURANCE NEWS
Microsoft Says Russia-Linked Hackers Behind Dozens of Teams Phishing Attacks
A Russian government-linked hacking group took aim at dozens of global organizations with a campaign to steal login credentials by engaging users in Microsoft Teams chats pretending to be from technical support, Microsoft researchers said on Wednesday. These “highly targeted” …
Kill the Kill Switch: CFPB Says Dealer Illegally Locked Cars and Repossessed Them
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday sued USASF Servicing, the financial arm of a chain of auto dealerships found mostly in the South, alleging the company committed a laundry list of illegal practices, like disabling borrowers` cars, double-billing customers, …
Lizzo Pushes Back After Her Former Dancers Claim Harassment in California Suit
Lizzo said that she`s “not the villain” that three of her former backup dancers falsely accuse her of being in a sexual harassment lawsuit. The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court claims Lizzo pressured the dancers to …
Broker Verlingue Expands UK Footprint With Acquisition of Brunsdon Employee Benefits
Verlingue has announced the acquisition of Gloucester, England-based Brunsdon Employee Benefits, an independently owned employee benefits specialist. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, supports Verlingue’s recent expansion in the Midlands and Southwest and significantly boosts its employee benefits capabilities in …
Swiss Re H1 Net Income Surges to $1.4B on Lower Natural Catastrophe Losses
Swiss Re AG said first-half net income rose more than ninefold to $1.4 billion from a year earlier, driven by contained natural catastrophe losses and a rebound in its life and health business to pre-pandemic levels. Net premiums earned and …
UK Seeks to Boost Defenses for Potential Infrastructure Attacks
The UK government unveiled a fresh attempt to bolster security of critical energy infrastructure like gas pipelines. The release of an updated National Risk Register by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden reflects concerns that heavy reliance on gas supplies piped …
WCRI: Inflation Not a Big Deal for Workers’ Comp, Yet
While fast-rising prices in the past year drove up claim costs for auto and property insurers, inflation has been a more ho-hum affair for the workers’ compensation line and health care in general, according to a new report by the …
Forecasters Stress Uncertainty in Latest Hurricane Forecast
Forecasters from Colorado State University (CSU) stressed uncertainty in their latest outlook on Thursday for the current Atlantic hurricane season, even as they held steady the number of storms expected. This year’s hurricane season, which began on June 1, is …
Teva Agrees to Pay $126M to US Hospitals Over Opioids
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has agreed to pay up to $126 million to U.S. hospitals over 18 years to settle claims that its marketing of opioid drugs raised the hospitals’ operating costs. As part of the proposed settlement, disclosed in …
Valent Group Acquires Coastal Professional Insurance in Alabama
Birmingham-based Valent Group, an insurance brokerage and risk management firm, has acquired Coastal Professional Insurance Inc., an independent agency in Mobile, Alabama. Coastal, or CPI, has been in the business for three decades and offers property coverage. Principals also have …
Acturis Enters U.S. Market with Acquisition of Broker Buddha
After successful entries into the German, French and Canadian insurance markets, software-as-a-service firm Acturis Group has entered the U.S. market with the acquisition of Broker Buddha. Broker Buddha, based in New York City, provides insurance brokers and carriers with a …
Pennsylvania Socialite, Convicted of Millions in Insurance Fraud, Dies at 71
The judge called it a “spectacular” fall from grace after a well-known Pennsylvania socialite was convicted in 2019 of more than $13 million in insurance fraud. Four years later, the Bucks County woman, Claire Risoldi, has died at age 71, …