Olympia, Wash. — The state Office of the Insurance Commissioner has ordered a former insurance agent to immediately stop selling what are apparently fake insurance policies.

Brenda L. MacLaren-Beattie and The MacLaren Group have been told to immediately cease and desist from:

transacting the unauthorized business of insurance in Washington,
acting or holding herself out to be a Washington insurance agent or broker,
trying to sell Washingtonians any product requiring an insurance license.

MacLaren-Beattie had an insurance agent’s license in Washington until March 12, 2009. She had been licensed in this state since Aug. 25, 1997. The license has expired and will not be renewed due to MacLaren-Beattie’s admitted acceptance of premium payments without actually obtaining the insurance.

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner is investigating eight such complaints against MacLaren-Beattie. All are from dentists or oral surgeons who thought they had purchased business coverage from her.

Our office, which served a search warrant Tuesday on MacLaren-Beattie’s office in Des Moines, is investigating. We are also notifying businesses whom we believe to have been victims.

Note: The company named in the order, The MacLaren Group, is NOT related to companies by the same name in Canada and the United Kingdom. MacLaren-Beattie’s company is headquartered in her home in Des Moines, Wash.

Also: We have posted the cease and desist order on the Office of the Insurance Commissioner home page.

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