Scammer Takes $15,000 from 2 Elderly Victims

A scammer took a combined $15,000 from two elderly residents who thought they were aiding a fraud investigation, police said.

The victims were an 84-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man, 6News' Ericka Flye reported.

The woman, newly widowed, said the pain the scammer put her through is almost too much to bear.

"You wouldn't believe what I've been through now," said the woman, who didn't want to be identified. "I think sometimes I cannot stand anymore."

The woman said a man called her and said he was a bank fraud investigator. He told her that someone tried to withdraw $6,000 from her Chase account and that he needed help in the investigation.

The woman said that the man told her to write a voided check for $7,500 and that it would be cashed in marked bills.

INSURERS KEEP WATCH FOR FRAUD IN HOME REPAIRS

A violent, destructive storm such as the one that hit Ohio on Sunday can bring out the best in people: neighbors - even strangers - chipping in to help one another through tough times.
It also can bring out the worst: storm-chasing contractors who descend on hard-hit areas to scam homeowners and insurance companies; normally honest people tempted to wheedle a little more than they know they deserve from insurance companies.
"We have found cases of some (contractors) causing additional damage in order to write up bigger estimates," said Mary Jo Hudson, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance.
Insurance fraud from property and casualty claims runs about $30 billion a year, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. This adds an equivalent amount to the premiums paid by policyholders.
There are many different types. Home or business owners who knowingly work with a contractor to artificially inflate an estimate are committing insurance fraud.
"Our claims adjusters are trained to inspect damage and know the difference between damage from hail and wind versus damage mechanically done," said Jeff Henderson, assistant vice president of claims operations for Motorists Mutual Insurance.
Such fraud, he said, could lead to a policy being voided.
Also engaging in insurance fraud are contractors who charge a fee to represent a homeowner in discussions with their insurance company or persuade them to grant them power of attorney.
"These are criminal offenses," Hudson said. "We are a law-enforcement agency and work with local prosecutors to prosecute fraud cases."

DETROIT COP CHARGED WITH 4 FELONIES FOR AUTO FRAUD RING

A Detroit Police officer was charged today with four felony counts in connection with an auto fraud ring that the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and Michigan State Police busted in March 2007.

Kevin Schuh, 35, of Brown City was charged today in 36th District Court with one count each of misconduct in office, a five-year felony; forging a public document, a 14-year felony; uttering and publishing a forged document, a 14-year felony; and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, a 10-year felony.

Schuh’s name was found on several fraudulent accident reports connected to Somerset Auto.
Attorney General Mike Cox said then that the suspects enhanced collision damage, sometimes with willing participants, to defraud various auto insurance companies. The suspects also damaged cars or stole air bags to report claims without a car owner’s knowledge.

MAN WHO FAKED DEATH GETS 2 YEARS FOR FRAUD

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A New Zealand man who faked his death in 2002 and used a name taken from a gravestone to build a new life was sentenced Friday to more than two years.
Bruce James Dale, 43 was convicted of insurance fraud, the New Zealand Herald reported. His estranged wife and their sons received a large life insurance payment after he was declared dead in 2004.
After leaving his car in a coastal area near Auckland, Dale adopted the name Michael Francis Peach, which belonged to a baby who had died years before 10 days after birth. He moved to Christchurch on the South Island and built up a business.
Dale was arrested this year after he applied for a passport using his real name.
In an interview, Dale said that police would have found him if anyone had made a serious effort.
"You could do what I did in a week. The police stated that I went to extreme lengths. Well, they are going to think that because they want to make it sound as if they did their job properly," he told the Herald.
At the time of his disappearance, he said, he was dealing with financial problems as well as the breakdown of his marriage. He said that he also did not get on well with most of his family, although he missed his children.

PHONY AAA EMPLOYEES TRY TO DUPE ELDERLY COUPLE IN SANTA CRUZ

Two men posing as AAA employees tried to scam an elderly couple out of almost $4,000 by telling them their car had a wobbly wheel.
Sheriff's Sgt. Fred Plageman said the Thursday afternoon incident was attempted elder abuse and credited a vigilant bank manager for scaring off the would-be thieves.
The couple, from Scotts Valley, had just finished a shopping trip to Costco in Santa Cruz and were driving out of the parking lot around 2 p.m. Thursday when a man flagged them down, according to the Sheriff's Office. He identified himself as a AAA employee, said there were mechanical problems with the couple's 1997 Toyota Camry, then shook the right rear tire and told the couple it wobbled, Plageman said.
The man then told the couple he could fix it for them but that they had to go elsewhere because he couldn't perform car repairs in the Costco parking lot. He said it would cost $3,800 up front and said that the couple could get a rebate later, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The "mechanic" then introduced a second man as his son, who drove the 84-year-old Scotts Valley man to Liberty Bank in Felton while the mechanic stayed behind in the parking lot with the man's wife, the Sheriff's Office reported.
At the bank, the manager got involved when the elderly man tried to make a large withdrawal.
"It looks like the victim and the bank manager came to the conclusion that he was being scammed," Plageman said.
When she walked toward the front of the bank and tried to write down the suspect's license plate number, he sped away so fast he nearly hit another vehicle, Plageman said.
About the same time, the mechanic told the elderly man's wife he wanted to get a drink, walked away and didn't come back. Both the mechanic and his son had been talking on their cell phones since they parted ways in the Costco parking lot, the Sheriff's Office reported.
No theft occurred and an inspection of the couple's car revealed there were no mechanical problems, Plageman said.

DID ANNE HATHAWAY SQUEAL ON RAFFAELLO FOLLIERI?

Anne Hathaway’s former boyfriend, Italian entrepreneur Raffaello Follieri has pleaded guilty to all 14 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering in a real estate investment venture this morning, saying, "I knew what I was doing was wrong," according to Access Hollywood. And Anne Hathaway is finally talking about the breakup in the October issue of W magazine.In the W interview, conducted just three weeks after Follieri's arrest, she talks about Follieri's troubles, saying, “It’s a situation where the rug was pulled out from under me all of a sudden."
But according to a story in the new issue of Vanity Fair, Anne Hathaway was still talking to Follieri just six hours before he was arrested.
She reportedly called him on his cellphone at midnight. He put her on speaker phone. When he asked her to come to his 30th birthday party on Capri, she fell silent, finally saying, “You were the love of my life. I’ll always love you. You know that, baby.”
The article poses the question: Did Hathaway -– or her advisors and/or family -– help the FBI in their investigation of Follieri? It's something Follieri is also wondering.
Vanity Fair writes that after his arrest in April, the Italian businessman believed that Hathaway’s camp was planting negative stories in the press. And Hathaway even told Follieri that her father had hired a private investigator.
Her dad, Jerry Hathaway, admitted to having a PI check him out and e-mailed Vanity Fair: “I regard my involvement in this situation, regardless of its dimensions and level of interest, as fundamentally a private matter between a daughter and her father.”
One source tells Vanity Fair that Follieri’s arrest would not have happened without the promise of a publicity prize due to his famous actress girlfriend. But who cooperated with the FBI?

FEDS INDICT 10 IN ALLEGED INSURANCE-FRAUD SCHEME

The owner of a Denver company and nine of his employees plotted in weekly meetings to rip off insurance companies by getting subcontractors to turn in fake, inflated bids, according to a 60-count federal indictment announced Tuesday.
Disaster Restoration Inc. routinely submitted bills to insurers that were 20 to 30 percent higher than what the company paid subcontractors, the indictment says.
It also claims that the chief operating officer, Charles "Chip" Homer Sharp, of Broomfield, threatened at least two subcontractors with violence or economic harm if they didn't go along with the scam.
DRI owner Michael Griggs said the company will defend itself against the allegations, then referred questions to his attorney, Michael Axt.

HIRE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR TO PERFORM A FRAUD INVESTIGATION

A fraud investigation might be conducted in order to determine:whether or not there has been a sale of assets that were either misrepresented or fictitious;whether or not improper payments – kickbacks, illegal political donations, bribes, or payoffs – have been made from within the company;whether or not there has been some sort of intentional misrepresentation or assets, liabilities, transactions or income;whether or not there have been intentional pricing changes created to benefit the business financially;whether or not items have been deliberately left off the books; or fraud investigation may be handled by a private investigator. A private investigator may be brought in to conduct a fraud investigation to determine which asset was transferred improperly or to establish which employee may have defrauded the organization.

This can be done through deeper background checks to determine whether there are employees who had access to the assets upholstery cleaning tampa also have a criminal record. A private investigator can also conduct background checks into employees' credit histories, judgments and liens, even federal and civil records to determine whether or not red flags are present.

Often, a private investigator is called in to perform a fraud investigation after fraud has been discovered. He or she will be hired by the business to conduct full background searches upholstery cleaning service employees who may have been involved in misrepresenting assets, making improper payments, leaving items off the books or even embezzling.

In addition to a fraud investigation, a private investigator is likely to work with the business' executives to determine a plan for preventing fraud in the future. This may involve examining the policies and procedures that are currently in upholstery cleaners It may also involve implementing surveillance through cameras or by tracking programs installed on office computers.

By creating a fraud prevention strategy and by conducting a fraud investigation, a private investigator can help to put your business back on the right track.

Perhaps your business has not always taken the time to conduct thorough background investigations of applicants before hiring. Perhaps you are hoping that your business still has the opportunity to prevent fraud. Maybe you've been unfortunate memory foam air mattress and fraud has already taken place. Regardless of your situation, a fraud investigation can help to ensure that you are fully aware of what is taking place.

When that fraud investigation is conducted by a private investigator, you can also take measures to protect your business from future instances of fraud.

POLICE WARN OF NEW SCAM

The old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” holds as true today as it ever has, probably more so.

For that reason, the Chickasha Police Department wants to warn citizens to be aware of a new type of scam being perpetrated on unsuspecting victims by unscrupulous individuals.

According to Chickasha Police Chief Lynn Williams, individuals using the name of legitimate companies such as Consumer Impressions, Inc., a mystery shopper company, have cheated, or have attempted to cheat, unwary consumers out of thousands of dollars across the U. S.

“They’re ripping off people all over the country through e-mail, phone calls and the U.S. Mail,” said Williams.

The ruse is to send people a letter and a cashiers check for amounts ranging from $1,000 to $4,500 and then instructing them to cash the check and transfer all but about $300 of the money from a wire transfer facility, typically a Wal-Mart store, to an international address, often in Canada. The $300 the victim is allowed to “keep” is said to be payment for completing an assignment and/or training, according to the National Association of Mystery Shoppers.

However, within a few days, victims are notified that the check has bounced. Unfortunately, because both the check and the company that issued it are bogus, victims have no recourse and are unable to recover any of their money, leaving them liable for the entire amount, including bank fees.

Other similar scams involve mailing victims unsolicited letters and cashiers checks issued in their name for around $5,000, with instructions to call the company’s office upon receipt of the letter for further instructions. Victims are told to deposit the check into their bank account.

The company then requests that the victim wire most of the money back to them via Western Union or Money Gram, usually several thousand dollars to cover “administrative taxes,” “government taxes,” or “certificates of clearance and insurance.”

Some letters claim to be from “mystery shopper” companies, while others claim the victim has been “randomly selected by computer” and that they have won tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in the “2008 Power Pay Stake,” the “North American Lottery Game,” or other bogus sweepstakes. Some even make references to legitimate sweepstakes like the Publisher’s Clearing House or Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes, but are not affiliated with either organization.

One letter, for example, which included a check for $4,900 made out in the victim’s name, asked her to deposit the entire amount into her bank account and then wire $3,950 back to the company “to facilitate the delivery of (her) won large lump sum.”

According to the letter, once the “tax payment” was “processed,” a final check lump-sum payment would be delivered to her by UPS or FedEx.

However, these checks are fraudulent, leaving the victims poorer but, hopefully, wiser, after being cheated out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars, often on top of large bank fees.

In addition, these bogus companies sometimes attempt to reassure their victims about their legitimacy by advising them about their “security protocol” which will “avoid any fraudulent activity that might hinder or delay the processing and remittance “ of their prizes.

POLICE WATCHDOG UNDER FIRE OVER MISCONDUCT CASES

The Victorian watchdog charged with investigating crooked police has come under fire over its handling of misconduct within its own ranks.

The Office of Police Integrity (OPI) has been rocked by allegations a sacked investigator was forced to sign statutory declarations to cover up thousands of dollars worth of dubious expense claims.

The former OPI employee alleges his boss forced him to sign the claims to account for OPI expenses spent on meals and entertainment.

He also declared hundreds of dollars allegedly lost by his boss on poker machines as expenses for an OPI operation, code-named Uranium.

The boss at the centre of the allegations has been suspended on full pay.

The OPI has employed a private investigator to probe the claims, which will be reviewed by Victorian ombudsman George Brouwer.

SUV Insurance Fraud on Rise Along With Gas Prices

Insurance fraud is surging as record-high fuel prices spur cash-strapped New Yorkers to fake thefts of their gas-guzzling cars and SUVs.

Investigators from the state Insurance Department have busted 88 alleged scammers in New York City so far this year, compared to 77 during all of last year.

And nearly two dozen of this year's arrests involved fuel-hungry SUVs, four of which were found in flames.

Former NYPD detective Larry Milanesi, who has extensive experience investigating insurance fraud, said the trend was reminiscent of the 1970s, when the gas shortage led many owners to torch large cars along the Belt and Cross Island parkways.

But while gas is widely available now, the deep discounts and generous financing available on new SUVs means motorists who want to unload their gas guzzlers can't find buyers, he said.

Sales of Fake Auto Insurance Cards Rising

Connecticut regulators say complaints they've received signal an increase in the sale of fake auto insurance cards, and they're warning consumers not to break the law by using them.

Drivers who buy legitimate policies receive cards showing they're insured, and they're required by Connecticut law to present a card when registering a car and to keep one in their car at all times. Auto insurance is mandatory.

Fake cards have surfaced in past years, but hard economic times may be leading more people, who feel they can't afford insurance, to buy the much cheaper bogus insurance cards, the Connecticut Insurance Department says.

"While legitimate insurance coverage provides protection for you, your family, and other people injured in a motor vehicle accident, trying to use fake insurance leads only to trouble," the department says.

Bogus insurance cards can be detected because of computerized information-sharing between the Department of Motor Vehicles and insurance companies. If you let your policy lapse, for instance, your insurer will notify the state agency.

Consumers Face More Insurance Fraud Schemes

A rising number of consumers are dealing with insurance-related fraud schemes on a number of fronts -- from drivers who stage low-speed crashes, to unscrupulous agents who pocket premiums, to rings of medical providers who fabricate large volumes of fake injury claims, according to experts.

The Washington-based Coalition Against Insurance Fraud is trying to alert consumers about those and other scams involving vehicle airbags, auto repair shops, windshield repairs and workers' comp.

James Quiggle, spokesman for the coalition, said agent and insurer scams are among the largest average day-to-day scams targeting consumers.

"We're seeing a growing trend of agents who steal their clients' premiums and then issue fake insurance policies to create the illusion that the client has coverage," he said.