An insurance company claiming to be associated with the stateDepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is in fact not andconsumer protection officials have been asked to look into thematter, said an official with the state Attorney General’sOffice.

Steve Lacey, an attorney assigned to DWF&P, said thedepartment had received a “flood of calls” about American IncomeLife Insurance offering policies in association with the wildlifedepartment.

“They’re not doing it with our permission,” Lacey said.

Lacey said the almost daily calls had been coming in for severalweeks. He said the matter has been turned over to the ConsumerProtection Agency with the Attorney General’s Office.

American Income Life Insurance Company is registered with theSecretary of State’s office, Lacey said. A call to the company’sRidgeland office was not immediately returned Friday morning.

According to some complaints, Lacey said company salesmen claimthat potential customers’ hunting and fishing license fees haveentitled them to a free package of insurance. The attorneyindicated there is no connection between license fees andinsurance.

Lacey said the practice of invoking the department’s name wasdisturbing.

“They’re using our name to get in the front door and then givethe people a hard sales pitch,” Lacey said, adding he had heardreports of some salesmen being rude to potential customers.

An east Lincoln County woman, who asked not to be identified,said she had been called by someone claiming to from AmericanPublishers Clearing House. But after coming to the home, the personclaimed to be associated with the wildlife department.

The woman said the insurance salesman focused on her son and didnot want her or her husband around during the discussion. The womansaid she objected to the treatment and wanted others to be aware ofwhat was going on.

“It sounds like something that’s just not right,” the womansaid.