Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol

A new group is trying to improve delivery of home health services in western Wisconsin that qualify for Medicare reimbursement.

Poor staffing and misconceptions about reimbursement from the federal medical program were two key issues identified by the group at a meeting last weekend in Sparta.

Registered nurse Pat Conway explained it best in a recent story in the Tomah Journal:

“The primary obstacle to the delivery of Medicare-reimbursed home health aide services is the perception that Medicare does not reimburse enough to make providing the service profitable,” Conway said. “Most Medicare-certified agencies lose money on hiring, training, paying for travel and benefits to home health aides. Thus, they hire a few aids to cover a small geographic area.”

Two Wisconsin men convicted of corruption want a judge to dismiss their criminal past.

State Sen. Gary George and investment banker P. Nicholas Hurtgen say a recent Supreme Court decision cancels out their previous convictions. The high court narrowed the definition of a fraud statute that the Justice Department uses in corruption cases like Rob Blagojevich.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the details.

In Arkansas, fraudsters are trying to get Medicare patients to dole out personal information as part of a Medicare Part D scam.

TodaysTHV.com describes the scam:

Already, fraudsters have been calling beneficiaries asking for personal information, including bank account and social security numbers, as well as to confirm Medicare numbers to “make sure the rebate check is deposited into the correct account.” However, this is a scam. Eligible recipients do not have to do anything to receive the $250 check. Checks will be mailed from a Medicare contractor’s address in Wisconsin directly to beneficiaries who qualify for this benefit under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

If you receive a call like this, report it at 1-800-MEDICARE.

The Wisconsin State Fair is well underway and many Wisconsinites will be WOWed by goods and services just waiting to be purchased.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fun and frantic fair atmosphere, but sometimes you can buy stuff you simply do not need – whether its an impulse or high-pressure buy.

The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau offers these tips to keep in mind before you make a purchase at the fair:

• Prior to making a purchase, get the company’s refund and exchange policy — in writing, if possible.
• Obtain the company’s physical location and telephone number, in case you need to return or exchange an item after the event.
• As with any purchase, it makes sense to comparison shop. Keep in mind, however, that the least expensive item may not always be the best value. If you are making a large purchase, don’t be afraid to leave the fairgrounds to do some research.
• Don’t be pressured to buy. After the demonstration or sales pitch, walk away from the sales person to give yourself some time to think about the purchase.
• Ask the vendor if a sale price will be honored after the fair — if so, you will not feel pressured to purchase the item “on the spot.”
• It’s important to note that the Federal Trade Commission’s “cooling-off rule,” which normally allows consumers three days to cancel a purchase, does not apply to the following purchases at fairs:

1. 1. Purchases under $25
   2. Goods or services not primarily intended for personal, family, or household purposes
   3. Insurance, securities, or real estate
   4. Motor vehicles
   5. Arts and crafts

In addition, the BBB advises State Fair attendees to be careful of entering drawings for vacations or other prizes. Often times, to claim these “prizes”, you’ll need to pay an upfront fee or attend a high-pressure sales seminar.

On the Web:

http://www.wistatefair.com/

Wisconsin BBB

A Wisconsin prisoner tried to bilk the government out of hundreds in tax credits while she lived in prison.

Wendy Nelson is one of four inmates at Taycheedah Correctional Institution charged with tax fraud. Prosecutors say she claimed she lived in an apartment so she could get tax credits, when in fact she lived in the prison.

Her conviction extended her prison sentence another six years. Another prisoner was found guilty on charges and two others have pleaded not guilty.

Do you suspect someone of committing tax fraud?

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue tells how to report someone suspected of tax fraud.

Sometimes its easy to spot a scam – but it’s not so easy to know how to report it – or who to report it to.

In Wisconsin, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is ready to hear your complaints or concerns about businesses or possible scams.

If you have an offer that sounds too good to be true, or are feeling pressured by someone to buy something you don’t need or want, contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection at  (800) 422-7128.

Bureau officials are also available online at www.datcp.state.wi.us, or via email at DATCPHotline@wi.gov.

Nearly 7,400 faulty electric meters caused financial headaches for Wisconsinites last year, a new Gannett Wisconsin Media analysis shows.

According to a story at HTRNews.com, analysts used information from the Public Service Commission, and found:

In all, the state utilities charged customers more than they refunded from mistakes and problems. For every dollar utilities refunded, they charged customers $1.65. The utilities refunded a total of $2.9 million to 1,679 customers last year. But at the same time, utilities charged $4.8 million to 5,724 customers.

The most common reason utilities refunded customers money: a faulty or incorrect meter. Utilities issued 981 refunds for this reason, about 57 percent of all refunds.

The most common reason customers were issued charges: fraud or theft of service. Utilities issued 3,042 charges for this reason, representing about 53 percent of all charges. But most (98 percent) of these theft and fraud cases were reported by just one utility: We Energies. Wisconsin Public Service, Northern States Power and Superior Power and Light all reported no cases of theft or frauds.

In this bad economy, people are desperate for jobs – and crooks are ready to cash in on that desperation by using them to commit fraud.

One Wisconsin man got a job cashing checks for a company. He found out about the job online. Turns out, the “company” was a bunch of crooks who got this man to cash bad checks, then send them the cash.

How it worked

The scammers stole money from an Illinois’ man’s bank account, then sent the check to the Wisconsin man to deposit. Once deposited, the man was to then send cash to the crooks in California, The Daily Herald reports.

While the man won’t face charges, he must pay back the money that was stolen from the Illinois man. The scam is likely tied to a Russian fraud group.

How to avoid this scam

Few legitimate businesses would need an individual to cash checks for them. None would want them to deposit those checks into their personal bank accounts, then send cash.

Scammers ALWAYS want cash – usually via a wire service like Western Union or through cashier’s checks.

• If a business person asks you to deposit a check into your personal account, then asks you to give it to them in cash, don’t do it. Contact local law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau immediately.
• If someone writes you a check for more than what they owe, and ask you to give them cash back, don’t do it. This is a common scam used on users of sites like Craigslist and eBay.
• When in doubt, don’t do it. Don’t allow pressure tactics to force you into giving cash to someone, or doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

While most mortgage fraud happened from 2006-2009, the backlash could offer significant roadblocks for those applying for mortgages this year, Housing Watch reports.

Lenders say income fraud is at the top of their list – and the most offenders live in Wisconsin.

Companies attempting to spot mortgage fraud could easily ax applications from legitimate buyers because they are too scared of falling into a trap, as many companies did after the housing boom.

A 44-year old Ripon, Wisconsin woman just wanted a job. She thought she’d found it in a shipping venture.

What she got was a place at the center of a weapons smuggling investigation spanning the globe.

The woman was hired to ship clothing to orphans in Russia. But a tip from a firearms dealer in Iowa led law enforcement to learn that she was actually helping crooks smuggle weapons, according to ABCNews.com. The fraudsters used stolen credit cards to purchase the weapons, and hired the woman to mail the items to them under the guise of clothing.

Police say the woman likely won’t be charged.

These types of scams are EVERYWHERE and even the most vigilant person can be taken in – especially in the bad economy. Here’s how you can avoid getting scammed:

• Check the business rating with the Better Business Bureau. If located in the U.S., be sure they have a business license – especially if you only communicate online. Also, talks officials at the state Attorney General’s Office if they’ve received complaints about a business.
• Google it. Using a search engine like Bing or Google, search the business name, or the names of any people you communicate with. See what articles or blog posts are out there associated with it. Sometimes, you can find out quickly a company is associated with scams.
• Ask questions and talk to a real person. Don’t just rely on email and instant messaging communications. If a company only communicates with you electronically, it is likely a scam. After all, how many jobs have you ever gotten without a phone or in-person job interview?
• If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. The woman mentioned above thought she was making $30 each time she mailed a package.