A number of bogus medical malpractice insurers claiming to be based in Bermuda, but listing no more than a mailbox as their address, are under fire in the US for providing coverage to abortion clinics without state licensing.

But mystery surrounds who is behind the sham companies, nor was any light shed on how they can claim to be based on the Island.

The companies in question ? which are each listed on the website of investor watchdog, the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), as being bogus companies, and reportedly hold no licences in the states where they have provided coverage ? were said to have been the medical malpractice insurers for a number of abortion clinics across the US.

Warnings on more than a dozen suspect companies came last month from the BMA after it became aware of sham entities purporting to be licensed, regulated or established in Bermuda.

Now three of the companies on the BMA's warning list ? Professional Liability Insurance Corp. (PLIC), Medical Risk Associates RPG and Unimed ? are cropping up in US media reports as being the subject of several state actions banning them from writing business in those states.

The Royal Gazette was unable to determine the beneficial owners or management of the companies with the trail going cold at a joint mailing address with Mailboxes Unlimited.

The BMA was also unable to shed any further light on the identity of the individuals behind the bogus firms. But the Authority did say that such instances, which are reportedly rare, are taken seriously and when warranted investigated by the Authority's enforcement division. Supervisor of Insurance Jeremy Cox said: "In situations like this, where we are able to, we provide any assistance we can to prevent any wrongdoing taking place." But he added that sometimes there was little information to go on.

In his 11 years working in insurance regulation, Mr. Cox said he had only seen a handful of sham insurance operators.

"It is good to know that there are not a significant number of situations like this. The jurisdiction has done a pretty good job at resolving these situations and making it clear this is not a jurisdiction where this kind of action will fly," he said.

Yesterday private mailbox company Mailboxes Unlimited told The Royal Gazette that a confidentiality agreement meant it was bound not to reveal client information.

An inspector with the fraud unit of the Bermuda Police yesterday said they did have background information on the bogus medical malpractice insurers but there was no active investigation under way.

The BMA website also lists Unimed ? with this company reportedly being the marketing operation for the other two firms ? as being based in the Gibbons Building at 10 Queen Street

Government land valuation records revealed that several companies are based at this address, the Gibbons Building, including Gateway and Fairway Management, but there was no mention of Unimed having an office there.

According to a report in the Associated Press, there have been decrees against the allegedly bogus insurers in Washington state, Florida, Alabama, Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Texas.

An abortion clinic in North Dakota ? where current law reportedly does not require medical providers to have medical malpractice protection ? is now also under fire for using an insurer not licensed with that state. That state's insurance commissioner reportedly wants to draft an order to stop PLIC from doing business there and may subpoena records from the clinic.