A recent report has highlighted deceptive practices in online insurance marketing, identifying six major strategies used to mislead consumers. Platforms such as Mingya Insurance, Xiaoyusan Insurance, and Qing Song Bao Yan Xuan were mentioned in the findings.
The "2026 Insurance Industry Consumer Rights Protection Work Report," released by the insurance research team at Fudan University, pointed out that after systematically evaluating the full range of marketing scenarios for 89 mainstream products from 25 core insurance providers, multiple instances of non-compliant promotional activities were discovered in online insurance sales, which may mislead consumers.
In text and image-based marketing scenarios, violations were found to be highly concealed and misleading. Six types of tactics were identified as particularly common:
Some platforms create a "false impression of superiority" through one-sided comparisons. For example, Xiaoyusan Insurance Brokerage promoted a certain million-yuan medical insurance product by highlighting only its low deductible and high coverage limit in a comparison chart, while omitting key details such as pricing, renewal conditions, and waiting periods, misleading consumers into believing the product was more competitive than others.
Visual design is used to downplay critical information. Mingya Insurance Brokerage marketed a no-health-declaration medical insurance product with prominent text stating "general pre-existing conditions are covered and compensable," but placed key restrictions in low-contrast fine print, leading consumers to mistakenly believe that pre-existing conditions would be covered unconditionally.
Misrepresentation of premiums and returns is also prevalent. When consumers adjust coverage options or sum insured amounts, some platforms continue to display the lowest premium tier without updating the quote. For instance, a critical illness insurance product from Taikang Online showed a monthly premium of 7.1 yuan even when the sum insured was increased from 50,000 to 200,000 yuan, deliberately misleading consumers in their decision-making.
A "customer service black hole" blocks consultation channels. Products on platforms such as Qing Song Bao Yan Xuan and Didi Bao lacked any customer service contact options throughout the entire application process, leaving consumers without assistance before, during, or after purchase, and making it difficult to seek redress if their rights are infringed.
High coverage amounts are exaggerated through wordplay. Some platforms split coverage categories or double-count sums insured to inflate perceived benefits. For example, Datong Insurance Manager advertised a mid-to-high-end medical insurance product as offering "6.01 million yuan in high coverage," even though each sub-limit was only 2 million yuan.
Bundled sales encourage irrational purchases. Platforms such as Huize.com and Xiaoyusan tied insurance products to non-insurance gifts or incentives like "earn points by applying" or "100% chance to win a prize," creating a false sense of urgency and prompting consumers to buy impulsively without considering whether the product suits their actual needs.
In audio and video marketing scenarios, short videos and live streams have become hotbeds for violations due to their wide reach and low visibility of oversight. Common issues include promoting inflated annualized returns, encouraging consumers to "buy insurance with loans" without disclosing interest costs or risks, illegally promoting and redirecting sales to Hong Kong insurance products, and concealing core product features or surrender penalties.
For example, a Mingya Insurance agent promoted an annuity product on a video channel by framing the returns on a 10-million-yuan policy as high yields on a 5-million-yuan loan, fabricating an annualized return of 10% or even 15%, while omitting any mention of loan interest or leverage risks.
Other video channels promoted participating insurance as "safe assets" with guaranteed returns, misleadingly equating non-guaranteed dividends with fixed income, and claiming "lifetime appreciation of 3.2%" or "returns exceeding 3% after five years," while downplaying the uncertainty of dividends and risks of surrender losses.
To address these issues, the Fudan University research team emphasized the need for technology-enabled solutions, including AI-powered multimodal detection systems to monitor text, video, and live streaming content in real time. They also called for stronger institutional accountability, standardized industry self-regulation, and enhanced consumer education to help individuals identify risks and protect their rights.
Consumers are advised to purchase insurance only from institutions approved by the National Financial Regulatory Administration, verify the credentials of sales agents, carefully read all policy terms, avoid being misled by exaggerated returns, provide accurate health disclosures, and seek legitimate channels for dispute resolution.
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