Illinois SMP Program Fraud Alerts

 

The Illinois SMP Program sends email Fraud Alerts every Friday. These alerts contain fraud-related news articles, information about current scams in Illinois or other parts of the United States, and useful healthcare or fraud-related resources. If you would like to be added to the Illinois SMP Fraud Alert email list, please contact:

Erin Weir, Healthcare Consumer Protection Coordinator

Phone: (800)699-9043, (708)383-0258

TTY: (708)524-1653

Fax: (708)524-0870

erin.weir@ageoptions.org

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Illinois SMP Fraud Alert - January 29, 20010

Dear SMP readers,

I hope that low temperatures aren’t getting you down! If you’re going to stay inside this weekend, be sure to check out some of the articles in this week’s Fraud Alert – we have some important news and tips for you this week.

Sincerely,

Erin Weir, MSW, LSW, Healthcare Consumer Protection Coordinator

AgeOptions

1048 Lake Street, Suite 300

Oak Park, IL 60301

phone (708)383-0258 fax (708)524-0870

erin.weir@ageoptions.org

ageoptions.org

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Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area. If you have any questions about the Illinois SMP program, or to receive these Fraud Alerts directly, please contact Erin Weir, Healthcare Consumer Protection Coordinator at AgeOptions.

What you will find in this week’s Fraud Alert

• National Summit on Health Care Fraud
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office Releases Alert About Charity Scams
• Fake Check Scam Warning
• Fraud in the News

National Summit on Health Care Fraud

Yesterday (January 28), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened a National Summit on Health Care Fraud in Washington D.C., bringing together leaders from both public and private sectors to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in the U.S. health care system. Participants at the summit included government officials, prosecutors and investigators, state law enforcement, private sector health plans and insurers, and representatives of consumers and providers. The Summit is part of HHS’s new “HEAT” initiative, which brings together health care and law enforcement professionals to collaborate in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse.

Several SMP representatives were able to attend the conference, with two SMP coordinators giving presentations in two of the breakout sessions: “The Role of States in Preventing Health Care Fraud” and “Development of Effective Prevention Policies and Methods for Insurers, Providers, and Beneficiaries.” A New Jersey SMP volunteer was also asked to attend and serve in one of the breakout sessions.

To see information from the Summit, including a blog, press releases, and the remarks of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and each of their deputies, visit http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/.

Illinois Attorney General’s Office Releases Alert About Charity Scams

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Illinois SMP program are partners in the Illinois Attorney General’s Silver Beat project, which trains older consumers on fraud and abuse issues and enlists them as volunteers to share tips and information about fraud with others. The Silver Beat released the following alert this week regarding charity scams:

Dear Friend:

Scam artists often exploit natural disasters for their own personal profit. In the wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti, we urge you to research charities before making a donation.

In order to ensure that your donation will directly contribute to the earthquake relief effort, it is important to ask questions, gather information about the organization and donate only when you’re satisfied that your money will be used in an appropriate manner.

Remember to find out if the charity is registered with the Office of the Attorney General and ask how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much will be used to pay fundraising costs. Ask for the charity’s length of operation, exact name, and office addresses.

In addition, find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. You may want to avoid the middleman and give directly to charities that have a presence in the region. The Attorney General advises that donors may want to ask questions to determine the ultimate recipients of the donations to ensure that the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

Please report suspicious solicitations to the Office of the Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau at (312) 814-2595. Spread the word – by working together, we can help to combat crimes committed against seniors in Illinois.

Sincerely,

Erin Ruebbelke

Program Specialist

(217) 557-1982

Fake Check Scam Warning

A Catholic Charities client in Arlington Heights, Illinois recently received a letter claiming to be from “Trustnet: A Financial Express Company.” The letter states that the recipient is a winner in their “Consumer Promotion Compensation Draw,” a lottery in which the winner is chosen from a list of customers who have shopped at certain large chain stores. The letter came with a fake check for $3,950 and instructions on how to use that check to pay “British Government Tax” by contacting a “claims agent” and wiring money. This letter (and the check) are fake.  It is very important for consumers to remember that if they receive a check from a company or an individual that they are not familiar with, there is a good chance the check is fake. Fake checks continue to be a prevalent scam in the United States, and when someone wires money to another location, particularly another country, it is often impossible to get that money back. Fake checks may look VERY real – so much so that a bank may not even know the check is fake until the deposit process goes through (which may take several days to multiple weeks), at which point the check recipient is responsible for the money. Please warn your clients, colleagues, friends, and family about this dangerous type of scam. For more information, visit one or more of the following websites:

http://www.fakechecks.org/

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/pressroom/videos.aspx (1st video)

http://www.fraud.org/tips/internet/fakecheck.htm

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Fraud In The News

The following are current news articles about health care and fraud issues.

Health Care Fraud

1. “Obama to Seek More Funding to Fight Medicare Fraud” (Nasdaq.com) – an article about the Obama administrations plans to ramp up Medicare fraud prevention and detection efforts:
Obama to Seek More Funding to Fight Medicare Fraud \

2. “Seniors Beginning to Patrol Medicare Fraud” (CBS4) –discusses the work of the Florida SMP: Seniors Beginning to Patrol Medicare Fraud

3. “The Huge Medicare Scam Costs That Hit Every Pocket” (Scambusters.org) – article on Medicare fraud that mentions the SMP programs: The Huge Medicare Scam Costs...

4. “Medicine Shoppe Owner Sent Mislabeled Drugs to Nursing Homes” (St. Louis BizJournal) – an Edwardsville, IL pharmacy owner pleads guilty to drug misbranding: Medicine Shoppe Owner Sent Mislabeled Drugs…

5. “Fraud At Blanchette Place Nursing Home” (St. Louis Suburban Journal) – a St. Louis, MO nursing home whose owners recently pled guilty to Medicare and Medicaid fraud: Fraud at Blanchette Place

Consumer Protection

6. “AARP Scam Alert: Scam Targets Haitian Americans Seeking to Bring Kin to U.S.” (AARP Bulletin): AARP Scam Alert

7. “18 Ways to Foil Credit Card Thieves” (MSN Money):
18 Ways to Foil Credit Card Thieves

8. “New Twist on Counterfeit Check Schemes Targeting U.S. Law Firms” (Internet Crime Complaint Center): Counterfeit Check Schemes

9. “Mystery/Secret Shopper Schemes” (Internet Crime Complaint Center):
Mystery/Secret Shopper Schemes

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Fraud Alerts contain information about current scams taking place in Illinois, announcements and updates about programs or services related to health care and/or fraud protection, and links to news articles about health care and fraud topics. Please forward any recommendations or announcements that you would like to be included in a future Fraud Alert to erin.weir@ageoptions.org.

AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging of Suburban Cook County, is committed to improving the quality of life and maintaining the dignity of older adults and those who care about them – through leadership and support, community partnerships, comprehensive services, accurate information and powerful advocacy.

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