Post office employee forges insurance contracts

July 29, 2019

Tokyo--A post office section chief has forged contracts for life insurance products the office has been selling for Japan Post Insurance Co. <7181>, it was learned Monday.

The section chief, aged between 50 and 59, created insurance contracts without consent of customers involved under pressure to meet a sales quota, informed sources said.

The employee was also found to have concealed the fact that an applicant for insurance coverage had been receiving regular outpatient treatment, fearing that the hospital visits would block the insurance deal.

According to people familiar with the situation, Japan Post Insurance reported a total of 22 insurance sales-linked law violation cases to the Financial Services Agency in fiscal 2018, which ended in March, after reporting over 15 cases in each of the preceding three years. The company has taken prevention measures including a sales agent license suspension.

Japan Post Co., which operates post offices across Japan, has admitted to some law violations.

"We've been teaching post office staff illegal practices," said a public relations official of the company. Jiji Press