The Italian Institute for Insurance Supervision (IVASS) issued a public warning after receiving a report of a counterfeit surety bond policy purportedly issued by Lucura Versicherungs AG, which the insurer has disowned. IVASS reiterated that Lucura operates in Italy only as a captive insurer for the BASF industrial group and therefore does not issue surety bond policies to third parties outside the group. Lucura informed IVASS that the certified email address lucura@pecimprese.it, the email address info@lucura-insurance.com and the domain www.lucura-insurance.com are not attributable to the company, and that the website is currently unreachable. IVASS noted that Lucura is a Germany-based insurer supervised by Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and is authorised to operate in Italy under freedom to provide services in various non-life classes, including class 15 (surety). IVASS advised consumers to exercise caution and, before paying premiums, to verify that quotes and contracts relate to duly authorised insurers and intermediaries by consulting IVASS’s online registers and warning lists, including the surety-authorised undertakings list and policy verification guidance.

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