Category Archives: Uncategorized

With the winter Olympics in Italy fast approaching, athletes around the world are fine-tuning their routines, sharpening their skates, and finalizing their travel itineraries. If you’re planning to go to the Olympics, having a sound game plan is a key to success, just as it is for the competitors. Here’s what to know about travel,Continue reading “Traveling to the Olympics in Italy? Here’s how to avoid a scam”

Whenever we have a problem with a charge or a purchase, it’s comforting to talk to a real person on the phone to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, criminals know that, too, and are eager to take advantage of it. In customer service scams, criminals lure their targets into calling phony customer support numbers for payment apps andContinue reading “How to Steer Clear of Customer Service Scams”

The loss of money, personal information, and perseverance of scammers continue with online purchase scams as the fourth riskiest of scams.

We’re seeing a big wave of reports about phone scams claiming you owe back taxes. But it’s not the IRS calling, it’s a scammer using a company name like “Tax Resolution Oversight Department.” If someone calls you out of the blue offering to help you fix a tax issue, hang up. Here’s how to spotContinue reading “Hang up on unexpected calls saying you owe back taxes. Those are scams”

Pittsburgh resident Molly Sinclair recently received ominous-sounding messages from two local banks where she’s a customer. One warned that her account had been locked because of unusual activity and instructed her to click a link in order to verify the transaction. The other simply said that her account was locked and gave her a phoneContinue reading “What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself Against Bank Scams”

Dr. Violetta Mailyan, who owned and operated Healthy Way Medical Center, was charged for allegedly submitting more than $45 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for Botox injections and for obstructing a criminal investigation by submitting falsified medical records in response to a grand jury subpoena. She allegedly billed Medicare for Botox injectionsContinue reading “Doctor Charged in Botox Scheme”

According to court documents and trial evidence, Michael Kochenand Sandro Herek targeted Medicare Advantage beneficiaries through deceptive telemarketing practices, pressuring elderly individuals to accept medical equipment they did not need – and in some cases, did not want. Physicians frequently issued standardized or boilerplate medical authorizations for braces based solely on call recordings rather than individualized medical evaluations. InContinue reading “Executives Convicted for Exploiting Seniors”

The client’s tax preparation bill should have been around $200. Instead, Freeport, New York, tax preparer Damaris Beltre charged her $2,200 in fees for a fraudulent return. The problem with the scheme: Beltre’s client was an undercover federal agent. (Read More)