Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes

http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-top-10-fraud-schemes/

For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites.

From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups.

Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud.

More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages.

The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively.

Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% -- from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 -- that includes both identity theft and fraud complaints.

The following is the complete list of FTC's top 10 consumer complaints for the year 2011:

1. Identity theft

2. Debt collection

3. Lotteries, sweepstakes, prizes

4. Catalog sales, shop-at-home,

5. Lenders and Banks

6. Internet services

7. Auto-related complaints

8. Impostor scams

9. Mobile and telephone services

10. Credit protection/repair and advance-fee loans

DSI to take over cold pills case

Two more state hospitals implicated in drug scam

source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/286132/dsi-to-take-over-cold-pills-case

The Department of Special Investigation is to take over the probe into missing cold pills after the number of state hospitals implicated in the smuggling of medications containing a stimulant used in the production of narcotics grew to eight.

Soem Ngam hospital in Lampang province and Nong Ki hospital in Buri Ram are the latest two to have been found covering up their losses of cold pills.

The Public Health Ministry has completed its two-week preliminary investigation into missing cold pills containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor in methamphetamine production.

Of the 875 hospitals under its umbrella, the ministry found eight were involved in diverting the medicine in a trans-border smuggling operation.

The other six hospitals are Udon Thani hospital, Thong Saen Khan hospital in Uttaradit province, Kamalasai hospital in Kalasin, Hod and Doi Lo hospitals in Chiang Mai, and Phu Sing hospital in Si Sa Ket.

Seven directors and pharmacists from the six hospitals had already been punished, said permanent secretary Paijit Warachit, and executives and staff from Soem Ngam and Nong Ki hospitals are under investigation.

Those involved in the cover-up of the disappearing drugs would face disciplinary charges as soon as the official report is released, he said.

Dr Paijit said Chiang Mai's San Sai hospital would have to be investigated further.

The hospital claimed its missing cold pills had been distributed to its network of tambon clinics.

The DSI's special cases committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, yesterday resolved to take up the case, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith.

The DSI will work with the Public Health Ministry, the FDA, the Royal Police Office, the Office of Narcotics Control Board and the Scientific Crime Detection Division, said Mr Tarit.

It will apply special measures to investigate the smuggling of cold pills, including use of electronic devices to tap the telephone conversations of suspects.

The DSI's initial investigation into 13 hospitals and clinics suspected of involvement in the cold pills scam found some links to the arrest of a pseudoephedrine smuggling gang in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district on Feb 18, said Mr Tarit.

The DSI will today ask police investigation teams to hand over their investigation reports.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri last month banned over-the-counter sales of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine.

They can now only be prescribed by doctors at hospitals and clinics. However, of 413 pharmacies randomly checked, 29 were found to still be selling the remedies, said Food and Drug Administration secretary-general Pipat Yingseree. They will each have their licences revoked for at least three months.

Police say 48.32 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine have been confiscated in 40 seizures between 2006 and 2012. Up to 36 million of the tablets had been smuggled into Thailand from overseas, particularly from South Korea, he said. The Public Health Ministry is proposing to list medicines containing pseudoephedrine as controlled substances under the Psychotropic Substances Act.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court yesterday sentenced four tribespeople _ Arphae, alias Kasem sae Yang, 31; Jalae Jaha, 27; Nathee, alias Dao Naju, 23; and Nu Najoo, 31, to 20 years in prison each for smuggling more than 8 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine between May 10 and Nov 24 last year.

Arphae's penalty was later halved for his confession, while the other three had their terms reduced to 13 years and 4 months as they had given useful testimonies during the investigation.

 

N. Korea agrees to suspend nuclear activities

 source:  http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/286132/dsi-to-take-over-cold-pills-case

The Department of Special Investigation is to take over the probe into missing cold pills after the number of state hospitals implicated in the smuggling of medications containing a stimulant used in the production of narcotics grew to eight.

Soem Ngam hospital in Lampang province and Nong Ki hospital in Buri Ram are the latest two to have been found covering up their losses of cold pills.

The Public Health Ministry has completed its two-week preliminary investigation into missing cold pills containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor in methamphetamine production.

Of the 875 hospitals under its umbrella, the ministry found eight were involved in diverting the medicine in a trans-border smuggling operation.

The other six hospitals are Udon Thani hospital, Thong Saen Khan hospital in Uttaradit province, Kamalasai hospital in Kalasin, Hod and Doi Lo hospitals in Chiang Mai, and Phu Sing hospital in Si Sa Ket.

Seven directors and pharmacists from the six hospitals had already been punished, said permanent secretary Paijit Warachit, and executives and staff from Soem Ngam and Nong Ki hospitals are under investigation.

Those involved in the cover-up of the disappearing drugs would face disciplinary charges as soon as the official report is released, he said.

Dr Paijit said Chiang Mai's San Sai hospital would have to be investigated further.

The hospital claimed its missing cold pills had been distributed to its network of tambon clinics.

The DSI's special cases committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, yesterday resolved to take up the case, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith.

The DSI will work with the Public Health Ministry, the FDA, the Royal Police Office, the Office of Narcotics Control Board and the Scientific Crime Detection Division, said Mr Tarit.

It will apply special measures to investigate the smuggling of cold pills, including use of electronic devices to tap the telephone conversations of suspects.

The DSI's initial investigation into 13 hospitals and clinics suspected of involvement in the cold pills scam found some links to the arrest of a pseudoephedrine smuggling gang in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district on Feb 18, said Mr Tarit.

The DSI will today ask police investigation teams to hand over their investigation reports.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri last month banned over-the-counter sales of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine.

They can now only be prescribed by doctors at hospitals and clinics. However, of 413 pharmacies randomly checked, 29 were found to still be selling the remedies, said Food and Drug Administration secretary-general Pipat Yingseree. They will each have their licences revoked for at least three months.

Police say 48.32 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine have been confiscated in 40 seizures between 2006 and 2012. Up to 36 million of the tablets had been smuggled into Thailand from overseas, particularly from South Korea, he said. The Public Health Ministry is proposing to list medicines containing pseudoephedrine as controlled substances under the Psychotropic Substances Act.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court yesterday sentenced four tribespeople _ Arphae, alias Kasem sae Yang, 31; Jalae Jaha, 27; Nathee, alias Dao Naju, 23; and Nu Najoo, 31, to 20 years in prison each for smuggling more than 8 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine between May 10 and Nov 24 last year.

Arphae's penalty was later halved for his confession, while the other three had their terms reduced to 13 years and 4 months as they had given useful testimonies during the investigation.

Springhill Group: Medicare Dupery Bill Re-brought In – Wellsphere

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/mamitawarth/springhill-group-medicare-dupery-bill-re-brought-in-wellsphere.html

1888PressRelease) Uncovering medicare scams latest news articles for general public to use. 

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, has reintroduced legislation that would double the amount of fines and incarceration for people in prison for Medicare fraud/scam. It also creates a new criminal offense punishable with a 10 year minimum sentence for those who intentionally sell or distribute the ID numbers of Medicare beneficiaries. 

According to the Springhill Group, the legislation also bars those who have been part of Medicare dupery in the past from billing Medicare if they switch companies. It also facilitates real-time information sharing among law enforcement agencies to aid in uncovering and dismantling Medicare scams. 

"South Florida has been known as the epicenter of Medicare dupery for years," she said. "It is time we took the fight to those who seek to defraud Medicare and prey on our most vulnerable citizens. This bill not only raises the penalties for those who engage in Medicare fraud, but also sets up a pro-active paradigm that will help stem the tide of abuse in South Florida and across the nation."The bill takes particular aim at Medicare theft in Miami-Dade County, widely regarded as the nation's capital ofhealthcare dupery. Medicare dupery in South Florida costs taxpayers between $3 billion and $4 billion every year, according to law enforcement and healthcare officials. Nationwide, Medicare and other healthcare fraud is estimated to cost $68 billion each in very year

Springhill Group South Korea Learn what a CFE can do for you

http://www.sociopost.com/node/284434

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/imelbertjocos/springhill-group-learn-what-a...

In today’s economic climate, who will help you protect your company and your clients from the devastating impact of fraud?

Fraud can creep into your business in a number of ways.

You may find you need an objective expert to deter potential problems, investigate allegations or provide resolution.

A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) offers anti-fraud knowledge and skills you need to:

• Investigate allegations against one of your employees

• Recommend strong anti-fraud internal controls

• Conduct interviews related to sensitive issues

• Provide assistance with financial dispute resolution

• Resolve irregularities discovered during your company’s audit

• Provide expert testimony on financial and investigative matters

A Unique Set of Skills

Fraud Examiners have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other discipline; they combine knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of law, criminology, investigation and how to resolve allegations of fraud.

CFEs work in a variety of disciplines including accounting, auditing, fraud investigation and security, as well as in different industry segments including government, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and retail distribution.

CFEs are knowledgeable in four areas critical to the fight against fraud:

• Fraudulent Financial Transactions

• Criminology & Ethics

• Legal Elements of Fraud

• Fraud Investigation

Reduce Fraud Risks and Costs

Heightened fraud awareness, combined with new laws and regulations, has increased the already growing demand in the workforce for professionals who are highly skilled at deterring, detecting and investigating fraud.

CFEs have the ability to:

• Identify and reduce opportunities for fraud

• Implement effective anti-fraud controls

• Continuously improve anti-fraud measures based on new risks and technologies

• Educate employees to deter fraud and report wrongdoing

• Resolve allegations or suspicions of fraud

• Assist in the recovery of fraud losses

Experience and Integrity

The standards for CFE certification are set by the ACFE’s Board of Regents, who are elected by CFE members and drawn from the most experienced members of the profession. CFE candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and posses two or more years of professional experience in a field related to fraud deterrence and detection.

The CFE Exam is a rigorous process, testing the knowledge of candidates in all areas of fraud examination. CFEs are required to acquire at least 20 credit hours of continuing professional education each year to ensure that they remain informed, empowered and educated.

Code of Ethics

As leaders who inspire public confidence in the integrity and objectivity of the profession, CFEs adhere to the Certified Fraud Examiners Code of Professional ethics.

The code includes:

• Commitment to professionalism

• Diligence in performance

• Avoidance of conflict of interest

• Testifying truthfully and without bias or prejudice

• Complete confidentiality

• Revelation of all material matters discovered during an examination

• Continued effort to increase the competence and effectiveness of professional services performed under his or her direction

The CFE credential is the globally preferred certification for anti-fraud professionals. CFEs are specialists in the detection, deterrence and investigation of fraud. Over 20,000 CFEs are actively fighting fraud worldwide.

Business Services

QuickBooks Services

Small Business Accounting

Part-Time CFO Service

Audits/Reviews/Compilations

Cash Flow Management

Bank Financing

Business Valuation

Strategic Business Planning

Succession Planning

New Business Formation

Non-Profit Organizations

Internal Controls

Certified Fraud Examiner

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Suncoast CPA Group is a full service CPA firm dedicated to providing our customers with total satisfaction by our dedication to the highest quality of

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Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes

Source : http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/

Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes

http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-top-10-fraud-schemes/

For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites.

From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups.

Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud.

More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages.

The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively.

Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% -- from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 -- that includes both identity theft and fraud complaints.

The following is the complete list of FTC's top 10 consumer complaints for the year 2011:

1. Identity theft

2. Debt collection

3. Lotteries, sweepstakes, prizes

4. Catalog sales, shop-at-home,

5. Lenders and Banks

6. Internet services

7. Auto-related complaints

8. Impostor scams

9. Mobile and telephone services

10. Credit protection/repair and advance-fee loans

Springhill Group Home: Impact of Budget Cuts on Rural Housing and Availability of Mortgage

Source : http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/

Springhill Group Home: Impact of Budget Cuts on Rural Housing and Availability of Mortgage

http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-impact-of-budget-cuts-on-rural-housing-and-availability-of-mortgage/

The budget cuts on rural housing finance are raising many significant questions. In the present economic situation, where federal funding for the rural housing projects is much needed, the budget cut is really distressing. According to the rural market experts, Section 538 Rural Rental Loan Guarantee Program has offered the most effective service in this regard. However, the recent budget cut is much likely to affect the proceeding of this program and home loan rate for buying a rural property.

Rural economics – Demand vs. supply

Only about 19% Americans live in rural areas. The average yearly income of a rural household is lower than an urban one. The poverty rate in the rural America is about 15%, whereas the rate is almost 13% in urban America. Section 538 by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the largest mortgage lender in rural America. Till the end of 2011, the program funded about 700 rural housing projects. Unfortunately, this program has become the primary victim of budget cut. It received 130 million USD in FY 2010; while in FY 2011, the Congress appropriated only 30 million USD. The appropriation for FY 2012 is zero. If Section 538 does not get any funding in this year, the prospect of the program is going to be doomed.

Difficulties faced by rural housing development

Considering budget deficit, one can say that it is difficult to construct affordable housing units in rural areas and thereby the obvious option of rental housing comes into play. Interested banks to offer mortgage loans in less developed rural areas with limited facilities are hard to find. So only a very few affluent developers, who won’t require mortgage loans, will be left to build housing units in rural areas and rent them out. Rural Americans are switching to rental units due to the scarcity of mortgage lenders. Although some organizations like HUD are getting some interest in investing in rural housing projects, yet urban and suburban areas seem more interesting to them.

Choices other than Section 538

Present economic situation challenges the government to cut spending by all means. Section 538 is not likely to become active at this point of time, but still there are few alternatives to this popular program and those are,

• A TX-based rural project with tax credit allocation has been accepted by HUD into FHA 221(d) (4) program and the borrower was allowed to pay back his mortgage over a timeframe of 40 years. The borrower got the loan with low rate of interest.
• Some Section 515 apartments were preserved through 4 percent credits, bonds and also 538 guarantee. The same thing can be done with other government funded entities in place of Section 538.

Challenges are everywhere; lenders should accept the challenge of investing in rural projects. The borrowers should also come up. They must look for ways to take out home mortgage loan and buy a home in rural America.

– by Chris