No risk here
Thanks to the Control Risks team, your 606 household clients will feel protected wherever they are. Frances Hedges reportsWhat if your client had been on a business trip in Mumbai during last November’s terrorist attacks? Trapped in a hotel room and facing the dual risk of fire and terrorism, they would be in desperate need of sound advice on how to respond to the threat. That’s where Control Risks — an independent, specialist risk consultancy that has long been a partner of Hiscox — could help.
“During the Mumbai attacks, we had 40 or 50 people calling us from three affected hotels to ask for our help,” explains Adam Samuels, the Director of CR24, Control Risks’ 24-hour security and incident management support service — free for 606 household clients. “We carried out a case-by-case assessment and gave advice on fire risk and escape routes.” The team remained in constant communication with clients, telephoning them regularly and alerting friends and family to the danger.
Crucially, they also had a team of security consultants on the ground in Mumbai, all of whom have good relationships with the local authorities. “We passed on our clients’ contact and room details to the security team and in one case they followed closely behind local security forces after they had cleared a hotel to extract a client,” adds Adam.
Coming from a range of backgrounds, including law, government and military special forces, the Control Risks team has a wealth of expertise in dealing with risk-related matters. “As well as providing on-the-spot assistance to clients in Mumbai, we were able to look at the wider, long-term security threat,” says Adam. This included analysis of the risks involved in travelling to Mumbai shortly after the attacks and advice on how to stay safe even in a high-risk environment.
Along with 24-hour access to consultants via telephone and email, policyholders benefit from a dedicated website, Personal Security Online, which contains country risk analysis, travel security updates and domestic security data.
“The Control Risks website has just been redesigned and it now includes additional content such as travel risk ratings,” says Adam. Control Risks has a global network with 27 worldwide offices, enabling it to generate first-hand, up-to-date advice on political and security developments around the world and upload them directly onto the website.
As well as dealing with travel-related incidents, Control Risks has an experienced fraud team providing specialist advice on crimes such as identity theft. Run by the former head of the City of London Fraud Squad, the team advises clients on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud — as well as on how to respond if they suspect that a crime has taken place.
“A policyholder might call or email the fraud team if they’ve noticed something suspicious, such as an unusual transaction in their bank account,” explains Adam.
They would then receive advice on logical next steps, such as notifying their bank, monitoring their account and checking their credit rating regularly.
Clearly, there’s no such thing as a risk-free environment. However, this is an ideal opportunity for brokers to help their clients anticipate and manage the risks they face — giving them protection and peace of mind, wherever they may be.
