Obamacare and Fraud V

Seniors are especially vulnerable to fraud related to Obamacare.

     Consumer protection advocates worry that fraudsters will falsely tell seniors that they need to renew their Medicare coverage or sign up for new exchanges in an effort to get seniors to divulge critical personal applications on application forms.  This is a concern as a great many seniors in the United States are already signed up for various forms of Federal Government assistance and so it might appear rational to a senior that a "representative" from the Government needs a person to fill out additional information for the new Obamacare programs.

     The same warnings always apply - never give out information that is being asked of you from an unsolicited source.  Federal Government representatives will already have your social security information, date of birth and other important personal information.  They will not have to ask for it.

     Although the verdict is still out on just how Obamacare will work, it is clear that there has not been a vehicle like Obamacare in some time that can be used by fraudsters to steal social security information and other personal information.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

 

Obamacare and Fraud IV

OK - there is already a fraud going around based on Obamacare, although it is nothing more than a variation on a theme and has been around for many years.

     The victim will get a call from someone purporting to be from the Federal Government and state that insurance cards under the Affordable Care Act (a/k/a Obamacare) will be mailed out.  However, before these cards can be mailed out, the person needs to give over some personal information to "verify" who they are, namely their social security numbers, dates of birth, bank account, etc.

    Once again, the same old self-defense applies here.  Do not give out personal information to people who are contacting you unsolicited.  The representatives of the Federal Government do not randomly cold-call people - it is the other way around.  You have to call an agent of the Government to contact them.

 

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Obamacare and Fraud III

     OK - let's start to examine how fraud can occur with the Obamacare program and what can be done to avoid being caught up in such fraud.

      It is important to remember that NO Federal agency will call you and offer you services for a fee or call and ask for vital information (social security number, date of birth, personal ID information, bank account information, etc.). If anything, a Federal agency will already have this information with them and will ask you to verify this information before they help you.  And by "verify," I mean that they will tell you to verify the correct information they already have.  They will not be "fishing" for such information.

    Therefore, if you get a call from someone purporting to be from the Federal Government who wants to "help" you with Obamacare, it is most likely a scam.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

 

Obamacare and Fraud II

As I begin to write this thread, I am confronted by the problems that many people experience when writing about Obamacare - the program is so new and so untested that there is virtually no blueprint about what to expect or how to enact the programs.  This blog is apolitical and I am not trying to make any type of statement one way or the other.  However, it is clear that implementation of Obamacare policies and what is expected of providers, Federal workers charged with implementing the program and individuals attempting to sign up for the program that there are a great deal of questions and answers are not always available.

    Confusing situations such as this one, therefore, especially confusing situations on a nationwide scale are almost tailor-made for fraudsters.  Fraudsters can take advantage of confusing situations and this most certainly qualifies.  There are already reports of fraudsters taking advantage of the confusion. 

   Therefore, the next series of posts will simply reiterate some of the basic information on how not to get "scammed" by fraudsters in general.  Such information should apply to even a large program such as Obamacare.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Obamacare and Fraud I

We will spend the next series of posts discussing fraud and the Affordable Care Act, more popularly known as Obamacare, after President Barack Obama, who spearheaded the effort to bring this bill into law.

      For my foreign readers - I notice many people are from countries with socialized medicine.  We do not have such a system in the United States and it is widely feared by many people that "Obamacare" is the first step to such a system in the United States.  It is not the purposes of this blog to discuss the pros and cons of socialized medicine.  However, as seen from the recent shutdown of the Federal Government is indicative as to just how controversial this issue is in the United States.

    However, like any large government programs, there are opportunities for fraud to occur.  Unfortunately, even though the programs are just getting started, there are already examples of fraud.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Carl Sagan on Fraud IV

     I am going to wrap up this discussion with just a simple observation: it has long been known by observers of human behavior that the further someone goes down a road, the more difficult it is to turn back.  This is, of course, to what Dr. Sagan was alluding in his quote.  People who try and help those who are victims of fraud sometimes react in amazement at just how far "down the rabbit hole" a victim has descended.  Some victims, even after losing everything to a fraud scam, continue to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel.

    I have seen this myself in victims of the infamous Nigerian 419 scams (referenced earlier in this Blog).  Even after the victim has sent thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars to the "Nigerian Prince," still more money is sent.  There is always that faint hope among victims, tragic as it is, that this has not all been for nothing, that somewhere there will be the payoff.  For those who are not involved in the fraud, it seems unbelievable.  But, this mentality persists among victims and is taken advantage of by the fraudsters.

     Throughout this Blog, I always make reference to the fact that fraudsters are con men, they are confidence men.  This means not only that they take advantage of the victim's confidence in the fraudster, but the fraudster himself projects an unwavering belief in himself, a self-confidence which appears to the victim and is believed by the victim.  This unwavering confidence in the fraudster, even if the fraudster is only a series of emails, is what separates fraud from all other types of crime.  This ability to take a victim down the road to where there appears no turning back is an ability which fraudsters possess, even if onlookers not involved in the process cannot understand it.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Carl Sagan on fraud III

    There are many reasons why someone who is caught up in a long-term fraud scheme may be reluctant to take a step back, listen to advice and not continue with the scheme.  As I stated in an earlier post, I am not a mental-health professional and it is not the purpose of this blog to analyze people.  However, sometimes when I do have to confront victims of scams, especially those who have been victimized over a long period of time, I do have to take note of the fact that they may not be receptive to what I have to say.  In fact, they can be downright hostile.  Sometimes it seems that I am the bad guy for even daring to suggest that they are the victim of fraud.

    It is sad and depressing to have to deal with these situations.  I can sometimes feel the frustration and anger of family members or close friends that are trying to help such victims get out of the scams.  But reading Dr. Sagan's quote reminded me again that there are very human frailties which play a role in people being the victim of scams.  The desire to "get rich quick" is only one aspect of human behavior which controls or plays a role in becoming a victim. 

   Dr. Sagan's quote serves to warn us that once we go down a dark hole, sometimes it seems that there is no escape.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

                                             

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk