In Florida and across the country, prosecutors are bringing more criminal cases against people suspected of committing mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud can be committed in a number of ways. Some examples include: buyers using fake identities to obtain loans and purchases houses, using fraudulent appraisals to inflate the price of…
A woman who held the position of supervisor at the Department of Children and Family Services (“DCF”) was arrested for allegedly stealing money that was intended for recipients of government assistance, according to an article on www.News4Jax.com. She was arrested on charges of grand theft, criminal use of personal information…
In the second quarter of 2008, Florida ranked 4th in the nation in percentage of home foreclosures. As a result of the increase in foreclosures in Florida, the Florida legislature and law enforcement officials are cracking down on what they consider mortgage fraud. This year, Florida passed into law the…
The FBI and other federal law enforcement officials are having a difficult time keeping up with white collar cases, according to a recent article on the NY Times website. At a time when white collar crimes involving fraudulent lending practices and mortgage fraud have increased due to the nature of…
According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, this week is Identity Theft Week in Florida and throughout the country. The purpose of Identity Theft Week is to raise awareness as to the various ways people are at risk of having their identities and financial information stolen. As the Internet and…
Credit card theft/fraud is a crime that is increasing throughout Jacksonville, Florida and the entire country. As people become more proficient with computers and the Internet, those with criminal intentions are finding ways to misappropriate credit card numbers and other financial accounts. As high tech credit card thefts is increasing,…
Millions of dollars in Medicare reimbursements are being distributed based on fraudulent claims, according to an article at News4Jax.com. According to the article, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has allowed alleged businesses who claim to be medical equipment suppliers to sign up for Medicare reimbursement eligibility when…
Federal law prohibits dispensing dangerous drugs without a prescription from a doctor who has a legitimate medical relationship with the patient. However, there are hundreds of Internet websites that offer prescription medications to anyone without the prescription, including dangerous and/or addictive drugs like Oxycontin, Vicodin, Methadone and Xanax. A recent…
One form of Medicare fraud occurs when a doctor or provider of medical supplies seeks reimbursement from Medicare for medical services or equipment that was never provided or for an amount greater than the service or equipment was worth. When the system works, a doctor or medical supply company will…
For every ATM card or debit card that is issued by a bank or other financial institution to a customer, there is a PIN code that allows the customer to access the funds in the account. The PIN codes are supposed to be among the most heavily secured elements of…