WakezoneINS

Just passing along what I thought is important information for the business owners out there. I am posting this because I received it from the FL Dept of Insurance. I know a very large number of the boat owners here on OSO are also business owners.

Here is the article verbatim from the FL DOI email:

"The Florida Department of Financial Services ("Department"), Division of Agent and Agency Services, is alerting the Florida agent community of possible instances of multi-state sales of fraudulent insurance focusing on commercial general liability coverage, particularly targeting apartment buildings, condominium developments, hotels, and other commercial risks.
Please be sure to carefully review binders of coverage or insurance policies obtained from Michael A. "Mike" Ward, or his related company, JRSO, Inc. Neither Ward nor JRSO, Inc. is licensed to transact insurance business in Florida. The NAIC has warned various states that this unlicensed individual may be providing invalid binders of coverage or insurance policies to the insurance producing community. There are concerns that Ward/JRSO, Inc. is working with others who are marketing the invalid coverage to retail or surplus lines agents.
These possibly invalid binders of coverage or insurance policies purport to be underwritten by:
• North American Specialty (NAS);
• North American Capacity (NAC); or
• AIX Specialty
The Department has received information that these binders and/or policies are suspect and may not be legally valid insurance. For any NAS or NAC policy questioned, contact NAS (603-634-5204), to confirm whether the binder or policy purporting to be issued by NAS or NAC is a valid policy. If NAS advises the policy is not valid, please contact Mr. Steven O'Hern in the NAS legal department (913-676-3186). For any AIX Specialty policy questioned, contact Mr. Brian Carvell at AIX Specialty (860-683-5026), to confirm whether the binder or policy purporting to be issued by AIX Specialty is a valid policy.

Please know that the above referenced companies are approved to conduct business in Florida. However, other states have alerted that Mr. Ward has purportedly used their names, binders and/or policies without their approval or validity. The Department wants to be sure that you are alerted and that you should be suspect of any transactions you may have been involved in with Mr. Ward.
For any coverage that is determined not to be legitimate, valid coverage should be immediately obtained for your customers and the Department should be contacted.
If you have any questions about this matter generally, or if you specifically conducted business with Mr. Ward or JRSO, Inc., please contact the Department's Bureau of Agent and Agency Investigation by email at [email protected]. Consumers in need of information or assistance should visit the Department's website at www.MyFloridaCFO.com/Consumers or call our toll-free hotline at 1-877-My-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
Thank you,
The Division of Agent and Agency Services
Florida Department of Financial Services
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/Agents"