by lilacsigh » Fri Dec 14, 2007 02:00 am
You know, it really makes my blood boil when I read about such cases like the one reported the other day in the Philadelphia Daily News.
Since the early 1980's, an unscrupulous Philly lawyer has sent a team of people out to find holes in the road or pavements and then gets others to fall in them.
I'm not joking.
This little plot enabled H. Allen Litt to defraud insurance companies of around $2.5 MILLION in claims.
The scam also involved doctors willing to report that the people had soft tissue injuries. Sites were carefully chosen in front of small businesses, not large one who'd stand a fighting chance in challenging the claims. He even had the audacity to hand out business cards to recruit people into helping with the scheme.
The whole thing is almost laughable until you remember the real costs involved. They're not just monetary. Who's been hurt here? Not the fakers, not the lawyer, not the doctors.
It's those small businesses that most likely had an increase in their premiums when renewal time rolled around because of the claims. Taking advantage of those small stores struggling to make a go of something by targeting their vulnerability is just plain cruel. I wonder how many decided to just pack it all in after that stress and worry.
It's you and I, the ordinary consumers. We absorb the financial brunt in paying these claims out when our insurers have no choice but to increase our premiums. They need to keep the business profitable and increase growth as any good company does.
It's the insurance companies - having lost those funds until whatever legal wrangling is settled to compensate them for that, which may or may not happen. Do they ever get that money back? I don't know.
Too many times we hear people complain about the insurance companies and how strict they are about paying out claims. This man's actions here exemplifies why that's a necessity. The insurers at the end of the day at not just protecting their own business but in the end, our interests as customers too, when they examine cases so diligently and carefully.
Here's the complete story : Lawyer indicted in scam.
All of course, in my humble opinion.
Since the early 1980's, an unscrupulous Philly lawyer has sent a team of people out to find holes in the road or pavements and then gets others to fall in them.
I'm not joking.
This little plot enabled H. Allen Litt to defraud insurance companies of around $2.5 MILLION in claims.
The scam also involved doctors willing to report that the people had soft tissue injuries. Sites were carefully chosen in front of small businesses, not large one who'd stand a fighting chance in challenging the claims. He even had the audacity to hand out business cards to recruit people into helping with the scheme.
The whole thing is almost laughable until you remember the real costs involved. They're not just monetary. Who's been hurt here? Not the fakers, not the lawyer, not the doctors.
It's those small businesses that most likely had an increase in their premiums when renewal time rolled around because of the claims. Taking advantage of those small stores struggling to make a go of something by targeting their vulnerability is just plain cruel. I wonder how many decided to just pack it all in after that stress and worry.
It's you and I, the ordinary consumers. We absorb the financial brunt in paying these claims out when our insurers have no choice but to increase our premiums. They need to keep the business profitable and increase growth as any good company does.
It's the insurance companies - having lost those funds until whatever legal wrangling is settled to compensate them for that, which may or may not happen. Do they ever get that money back? I don't know.
Too many times we hear people complain about the insurance companies and how strict they are about paying out claims. This man's actions here exemplifies why that's a necessity. The insurers at the end of the day at not just protecting their own business but in the end, our interests as customers too, when they examine cases so diligently and carefully.
Here's the complete story : Lawyer indicted in scam.
All of course, in my humble opinion.
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 07:35 am Post Subject:
Good thing that people are now aware of this. People like him just make premiums skyrocket while he gets a fat wallet, it's utterly ridiculous.
The doctors better get struck off as well.
What I don't get is how he got away with this for over two decades, even though he handed out business cards to recruit people for the scam!
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 08:03 am Post Subject: negligence
What I don't get is how he got away with this for over two decades, even though he handed out business cards to recruit people for the scam!
Very true!
Whenever I come across such incidents, it gets me a clear feeling that the so-called struggle against insurance frauds is yet to begin properly. 2 decades is simply an epitome of negligence..what else could you possibly imagine! Regards, Sasha
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 08:12 am Post Subject: so-called responsible carriers
Hi all,
The above stated incident is a hard fraud- which is nothing but a hard fact today! Yes, life is not just about soft frauds anymore, as I read some where within this site itself.
The insurers at the end of the day at not just protecting their own business but in the end, our interests as customers too, when they examine cases so diligently and carefully.
I'd just like to say one thing over here, that in the recent past there have been pretty many cases which even depicted the so-called responsible insurance companies teaming up with agents to deceive the claimants of a pre-promised benefit or cover.
So, anything is possible & frauds may be committed in all directions & designed from all directions. Lets not have fixations anymore as to the source of frauds. All the best! ThornyJane
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:10 am Post Subject:
What I don't get is how he got away with this for over two decades, even though he handed out business cards to recruit people for the scam!
I know, Quenlin, it almost defies belief when he was so blatant about it too. Justice is prevailing in the end though. Thanks for your comment! :)
Whenever I come across such incidents, it gets me a clear feeling that the so-called struggle against insurance frauds is yet to begin properly.
I can understand your point of view completely, sasha! What steps the insurance companies could take apart from what they already do, I have no clue, but obviously the gaps are there needing to be filled. Thanks for taking the time to comment. :)
I'd just like to say one thing over here, that in the recent past there have been pretty many cases which even depicted the so-called responsible insurance companies teaming up with agents to deceive the claimants of a pre-promised benefit or cover.
A fair point, ThornyJane. I should have perhaps said " the majority of reputable insurers" instead of "the insurers" or something along those lines. I personally wasn't aware of such cases so it didn't cross my mind to phrase it like that in all honesty. There are of course unfortunately bad apples in every industry that can tarnish the reputation of the good guys.
Thanks for your comment. Nice to meet you! :)
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:53 am Post Subject: Debt and scam invasion
This isn't a shocking issue for some. Debt has been invaded us, and just to survive in this economic crisis, some are working so hard to earn lots of money, while several are working so hard on taking advantage of poor and greed people. The credit crunch is causing people to pose as credit counselors and prey on people trying to get out of debt. If you get offered a “job” saying you can work from home, but you must first pay for instructions or contact lists, don't buy it. If anyone asks you to pay debt-relief service fees upfront, without doing any work for you first, run! Also if someone is offering you payday loans, but you haven't been approved yet, and they ask you to pay a fee, it is most likely a con. And don't fall for overpayment scams – those are the worst. Check out this post to find out what an overpayment scam is, and to learn more about how (link removed by lori-please do not post your 'wares' in threads you are free to add them to your signature) can help instead of hurt.
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:10 pm Post Subject:
It is a very shameful thing that all these people done. Many many small businesses are started or kept up by family members. You walk into a small town that has a store that hes been pssed from generation to generation and you will find people are glad to have that store and its history there in their town. Even in economic crisis involves every person and I can only imagine the number of small businesses that got scammed and went under.
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 07:59 pm Post Subject: Scams
Speaking of such incidences, I once saw an ad in the paper to become a secret shopper. I paid like 2.50 for information and got signed up for a "trial" (which would later turn into 20 dollars a month after 14 days). When I signed into my online account I found out that it wasn't a job hiring as promised. It was just a subscription to a list of jobs. They said that I'd get like 50 dollars per job. Most of them only offered like 5 dollars though. This is ShopperSelect by the way. Luckily I canceled before I had to pay for the subscription. Read the fine print and be wary of every too good to be true sounding offer. Reading about the insurance fraud reminds me alot of such ads. They operate in exactly the same way. Preying on people's wants and needs and then squashing them. I am especially hurt when it happens to the elderly. It really pays to be a little suspicious.
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:43 pm Post Subject:
I recently was employed in the clothing industry and personally find that all secret shoppers are far from honest. We got a report that was bad and really reamed out a good one. They complained they were not greeted at the door...they was...not asked to take merchandise back to the counter to free up their hands...and they never even had an item in their hand. I am sure there is good reasons for secret shoppers and can list a dozen of those but wish they all were honest.
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 01:03 am Post Subject:
ah grasshopper if they were honest and above board, they would not be 'secret' would they? :wink:
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:38 pm Post Subject:
I think these type of scams can be stopped only if everybody become aware of his/her surroundings
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