With recent government figures saying that some 40,000 people have been victims of online dating scams, Insight Investigations can confirm that this is now becoming a major problem as our increasing client list proves. Insight have taken many such cases and, on occasions, have been able to reunite the client with some or all of their money, but sadly on other occasions the fraudsters have been long gone along with the clients money.

Joining a Dating website is as old as the Internet and most remain a wholly useful tool to meet your future partner, but increasingly those sites are being targeted by gangs whos only interest is to fleece the unsuspecting. Most Dating sites operate strict controls in an attempt to vet their members but as they increasingly get more savvy these experienced thieves regularly pass the vetting procedures and begin to trawl the site in search of the unwary.

Lets not beat about the bush here, these are highly organised gangs working out of a factory like set up usually based, but not always, in the likes of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast where they invent a variety of persona and ply their trade online. They will tell their target any number of stories to prove their credentials and on some occasions the stories can be incredibly in depth with some checkable facts. Most recently US and UK military identities have been used on many occasions with the fraudster saying he is deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq. Once the target is hooked there will begin a pattern of requests for cash amounts usually increasing until they have emptied the targets bank account, drained them of their savings, or they have been found out. Once this happens they will fade away never to be heard from again.

Irrespective of where they are based the fraudsters have accomplices around the world to facilitate the collection of monies.

Legally, this is known as an Advance Fee Fraud or a 419 Scam and was first recorded in 1992. The 419 is taken from the Nigerian Penal Code number that relates to such Fraud.

How do you avoid it happening to you?

There are several checks that can be made and things that can be done to ensure that the person whom you have become attached to on-line is genuine. Some of the main tells are listed below but as the invented profiles vary so much it is not possible to give all the various scenarios here but we will happily give you a discreet free consultation on the phone should you have any doubts whatsoever.

Have you ever spoken to them, or do they give excuses why they cannot talk? This usually runs between the cannot speak today I am on operations excuse, to the my phone has been confiscated as I am on active service and many other excuses in between.

Their grammar. Is the syntax of their written conversation of a standard that you would expect, given the background they have told you or does it sound foreign?

Does their home address check out? Are they, or have they ever been, registered at the address? The fraudsters will trawl the Internet for an address and can obtain sufficient information about it to make you believe its genuine

The photographs they have sent you, are they genuine? Can the uniform or background be identified? They will use US or UK military ranks and obtain photographs, again from the Internet, and these will be real people.

Have they asked you for cash ? This regularly takes the form of requiring an amount for them to be released from their duties in order to fly and see you, a childs birthday, a major car repair or a sick relative that requires an operation. The excuses are wide and varied and will be tailored to what would effectively push YOUR buttons

Have they asked for a cash payment to be made via Western Union, MoneyGram etc in a name, usually not the one you know? This is the fraudsters mainline of income where the cash can be collected anywhere in the world once a the required reference numbers are given. This is where the fraudsters accomplice comes in. Occasionally, money is requested to be paid direct into a legitimate Bank Account, which is then immediately withdrawn.

The Global Laws on Money Laundering have enabled the Money Transfer Companies to become aware of their abuse, and they have been recently known to refuse to accept monies lodged in some names, they cannot be aware of all the various identities and accomplices scattered throughout the world however so this fraud will continue.

Gary Kay writes for Insight Investigations, http://www.investigate.co.uk, a leading resource and solution provider on the issue of how to avoid internet dating scams.

The issue and measures to take of how to prevent identity theft are extremely important and could protect you personally, your family, finances and future, this article looks into different ways indentity theft criminals can potentially get access to your sensitive information and how they can exploit it, perhaps more importantly this guide outlines simple steps on how to prevent identity theft and different aspects of identity theft protection.

It is shocking perhaps to many people that simple day to day actions such as putting the rubbish out can lead to your identity being stolen within minutes, what you deem as rubbish could give a criminal your personal details and allow them to obtain credit by taking advantage of your credit situation.

The most common type of mistake when putting rubbish in a bin is that people often include very personal and informative letters within bin bags that contain their name, address and date of birth, this is a criminals dream scenario as they could apply for credit cards, loans, car finance and any other financial offering that takes their fancy.

Shredding your mail or storing sensitive information such as bank statements, utility bills and any other personal letters in a safe or locked cabinet are great ways to decrease the risk of indentity theft. It seems like a simple form of identity theft protection but it is without doubt extrmeely effective.

Keeping your bank cards safe and any other plastic cards with information on will ensure that criminals do not have direct information to your account number, sort code and name which could be used to make cash transfers by them simply making a phone call. When using your cards in shops and and on the internet the simplest forms of identity theft are that you allow other people to see the details or happily enter your details on sites and machines that are not secure.

To prevent online purchase indetity theft always check that the website you are buying from carries the url https on any shopping cart, checkout and payment section, this indicates that the website have what is known as an SSL Certificate and is a secure, safe checkout. Most banks and credit card companies will instantly refund any theft through sites that are deemed secure.

With technological advances and a demand to keep up with the latest technologies many people often discard what they deem as old property and non vital home appliances such as laptops, usb sticks, mobile phones and PCs. The biggest and most common mistake made when disposing of personal IT equipment and storage devices is that people leave their personal details without wiping the data fully. Again this is an easy way for criminals to exploit you and it has been known that goods that have either been sold on, disposed of at tips or given away have all been accessed to obtain personal details and commit identity theft.

When disposing of IT equipment or storage devices it is essential you clear the hard drive of any personal data and ensure any passwords and information cannot be obtained. Theft of such items also leaves people open to indentity theft, by simply speaking with the seller or manufacturer of the equipment you should be able to obtain secure encryption devices or technology that would strongly reduce the risk of a criminal from being able to access your details.

Social media websites have hugely increased the amount of cases of individual identity theft due to people giving away their details unwittingly without even realising that people they are openly interacting with could be criminals posing as friends to gain access to personal data. Websites such as Facebook as subscribers to provide their full name, date of birth, e-mail address, phone numbers, home address, occupation and just about every other avenue of information that could completely allow someone to repliacte you with ease.

It is a vitally important part of identity theft protection that you only provide sites such as Facebook with the real essential information such as your name, Facebook themselves take the issue of identity theft and security very seriously and will advise you to set personal security settings so that only trusted people or no one at all can actually view any details other than your name. Think about it would you really openly advertise all your personal details anywhere else? The answer should be no and if so you should not advertise them on social media sites for anybody to potentially manipulate.

Just following these simple indentity theft protection methods will significantly reduce the risks of your personal details being obtained and exploited without your knowledge, the issue of how to prevent indentity theft on a personal basis is one that needs constant attention.

Gary Kay of How2Media Ltd writes articles for Insight Investigations, http://www.investigate.co.uk, who are a leading global advisory on how to prevent personal identity theft and the issue of identity theft protection

If you have a side business to earn extra money or have interest in learning about these types of opportunities, there are sources for this information available through services who specialize in this area. Be careful about work at home programs that require you to pay a large up front fee or ongoing monthly fee; they may not be as good as they advertised.

Crooks Don’t Always Want Money
Scammers are not always trying to steal money from a business. Instead, they might be after your company’s financial data or your customer’s data. Crooks will try many kinds of high and low tech methods for getting at that data. Do you really have time to deal with cleaning up the mess from being scammed? Here are seven types of scams to be alert for:

1. Directory Scams
Usually the scammer will call the business claiming they just want to update your company’s entry in an online directory or the scammer may falsely claim that they are with the Yellow Pages.

Your business receives a bill for hundreds of dollars for listing services you never applied for or for advertising which never runs in the Yellow Pages.

2. Office Supply Scams
Some scammers prey on small business owners hoping they won’t notice a bill for office supplies like toner or paper which the company never ordered. If you have invoices processed by someone, you may want to approve new vendors before payments are issued.

3. Overpayment Scams
Be extremely cautious if a customer overpays using a check or credit card and then asks you to wire the extra money back to them or to a third party. Overpayment scams target any number of different companies including catering businesses, manufacturers, wholesalers and even sellers on sites like eBay and Craigslist.

4. Data Breaches
Whether it’s caused by hackers, negligence or a disgruntled employee, a data breach can have a severe impact on your business. Learn how to defend your company from a data breach for free with information on data security whic is available from the Better Business Bureau site.

5. Vanity Awards
Does it really make sense to pay money for an award? While it’s flattering to be recognized for your hard work, some awards are just money-making schemes and have no actual merit. If you are approached about receiving a business or leadership award, research the opportunity carefully and be wary if you’re asked to pay money.

6. Stolen Identity
Scammers often pretend to be a legitimate company for the purposes of ripping off consumers. When it comes to stolen identity, the company doesn’t necessarily lose money, but their reputation is potentially tarnished as angry customers who were ripped off by the scammers think the real company is responsible.

7. Phishing E-mails
I get these almost everyday. Some phishing e-mails specifically target small business owners with the goal of hacking into your computer or network. Common examples include e-mails pretending to be from the IRS or your bank or phony e-mails from the Better Business Bureau, saying the company has received a complaint.

Rarely, if ever will you receive communication from institutions like these other than email; they rarely use postal mail or the telephone. Do not click on any links or open any attachments in these suspicious emails. Contact the agency or the Better Business Bureau directly to confirm the legitimacy of the e-mail.

Nathan Randall, editor, Daily Dollar Newsletter provides free daily advice on money matters plus coupons and discount codes. FYI…you can now access the Daily Dollar Newsletter via iTunes podcast, YouTube video, and on Facebook and Twitter too.

Don’t be scared to participate in contests and sweepstakes but at the same time, be smart about it. Take time to read contest information carefully, including the rules in fine print. There are red flags that you can be alert for to detect a scam. What are the four signs of a scam?

1) You Are Already A Winner!
When you receive a notification in the mail, on the telephone or via email that you have already been declared a winner of a contest, it is probably a scam. Common examples of this scheme include email alerts that you have won the lottery and postcards that you have won a free resort vacation or cruise. If you did not enter a contest, how could you possibly be a winner? Ignore these communications.

2) Payment Required For Prize
Fraudulent contests will require you to pay a fee, usually disguised as a “handling fee” or “convenience charge”. It may be a small amount like $10 or $15 and you might not think twice about it, but watch out. This is just a trick to get you to give up your credit card information and once the crooks have it you will likely have more charges on your account within hours. Never pay money out of your pocket to claim a prize. Even popular sweepstakes like Publishers Clearing House clearly denotes in their mailers that no purchase is necessary to enter.

3) You Receive A Check
Most people can’t tell the difference between a real and counterfeit check. The scam works like this: The scam artist will contact you that they have won a cash prize in another country and offer to share the winnings with you if you agree to deposit the check in your account and then wire them their share of the winnings. After a few days the check will bounce, but the wire you sent is not reversible and you are left with nothing.

4) Bank Or Credit Card Info Required
Wouldn’t it be convenient to receive your contest winnings via direct deposit to your bank account? Con artists swindle people out of their private bank account information with this easy gag. Never give a stranger your banking or credit card information. Legitimate sweepstakes will pay out via check after you have signed legal paperwork agreeing to pay the taxes and all other details have been disclosed to you.

Nathan Randall, editor, Daily Dollar Newsletter provides free daily advice on money matters plus coupons and discount codes. FYI…you can now access the Daily Dollar Newsletter via iTunes podcast, YouTube video, and on Facebook and Twitter too.

Then, eBay sprang onto the scene in the nineties and brought the auction into our living rooms using the wonder of the internet. Anything from Jimmy Choo shoes to old used TV set were available to anyone, in any price range, as long as you had an email address and the use of internet.

Now the world of online auctions is changing again. Penny auctions are the new thing. Quibids.com, Beezid.com, SwipeAuctions.com- they all promise buying expensive, luxurious electronics for unbelievably low prices. Why are the prices so unbelievably low? Because they are a lie.

Well, ok, maybe lie is a bit harsh, but the prices are severely misrepresented. Saying that you can buy a two hundred dollar iPod for only twenty dollars sounds amazing. But the truth is that each bid you place in a penny auction – in increments of one penny – cost users anywhere between fifty cents and one dollar per bid.

Per bid. In one penny increments? So the twenty dollar iPod suddenly becomes an iPod that was bid on two thousand times. And if each of those two thousand times cost fifty cents each, the twenty dollar iPod which was originally a two hundred dollar iPod just cost the people bidding on it one thousand dollars. In my view, that is a scam.

Now, to be fair, people who win items on Quibids.com or Beezid.com certainly are not bidding the entire time by themselves, and probably not with only one or two other people either. And the person who wins the iPod probably ended up paying less than retail price for it. So that is nice for them.

But what about all the other people who bid? They may have spent up to eighty or one hundred dollars paying for a chance to win this iPod, and when the clock runs out and they are no longer able to bid, they are simply out their money.

That sounds more like a slot machine than an auction in my view. When you bid on eBay or at an auction house, if you lose the bidding war you keep your money. Not so at a penny auction. So if you think it is not a scam to pay eighty dollars simply for the chance of winning something, and then having nothing to show for it at the end, then maybe penny auctions are for you.

If you would like more info check out additional Quibids Scam and My View Scam reviews.

On the other side of the crash barrier, there are those who decree that the motor vehicle is a dangerous product. Rather like electricity, it’s an essential tool, but a lethal one in the wrong hands. They say they both the car, and those who love to drive them so quickly, are dangerous for the long-term health of the environment, and potentially pose an immediate risk to the wellbeing of anyone who gets in the way of their front bumper.

Both sides make valid points. The BBC reported this week that motorists in Oxfordshire celebrated the switching off of speed cameras in the county by suddenly driving very quickly past the Gatsos that still had film in them. This is quite an amusing story, one could argue. However, if the same news story was bookended by the report of a small child being knocked over and killed thanks to the same relaxation, it wouldn’t be funny in the slightest.

Since Irish scientist Mary Ward fell under the wheels of a steam-powered vehicle driven by her cousins in 1869 (according to Wikipedia) and became the first recorded car crash victim, we have never been far away from potential tragedy when we get behind the wheel.

The vast, vast majority of car accidents are caused involuntarily. Yes, they can caused by ill health, confusion, bad weather conditions, inexperience, and of course reckless idiocy, but they are all accidents, hence the name. Nobody decides to go and have a car crash on purpose.

Or do they?

The Daily Mail reported this week on the fascinating tale of two brothers from Lancashire who, upon reluctantly admitting that their legitimate car accident management company wasn’t drawing in the punters, decided to be a little more proactive about how they gathered business.

The brothers, essentially, paid to borrow people’s already-damaged cars and then hired a driver to deliberately cause the ‘perfect accident’ in which they would be struck from behind at a relatively low speed. This would ensure that the driver behind would automatically assume the crash was his fault (even though the crooks’ car would have had its brake lights deactivated) and admit liability.

The two brothers would then submit a huge claim, complete with phoney invoices for car hire, repair and collection to the innocent driver’s insurance company, who would pay it without contest. The resulting thousands of pounds were shared out between the brothers, the owners of the dummy cars, and the drivers who had orchestrated the accident.

The scam netted the brothers several millions of pounds. They were only caught when a member of the public noticed one of their professional crashers having accidents at the same spot, more than once, and told the police.

As with many people who are more concerned about making money than the welfare of others, this scheme represents a quite flagrant disregard for people’s safety and possessions. Causing genuine accidents by driving without due care and attention is unforgivable; doing what these men did is abhorrent.

Although the accidents were low speed, one suspects that it was only a matter of time before greed would have led these criminals to stage bigger, faster crashes in the hope of squeezing even more money out of their unwitting victims. It is to be hoped that their actions do not catch on elsewhere.

Richard Craig is a UK-based author and blogger, focussing on car crash claims and compensation

Bravo to the players! They are the masters of the universe, the winners in the big game. They are the magicians who create the scams, draw in the suckers, and then take them for all they are worth.

As one looks around the table, they are all uniformly well tailored, well coifed, and self satisfied. Each is unashamedly out for number one, but collectively they seem to form a kind of tribe. The all share a rigid, boxlike worldview, in which a pie can only be sliced up so thinly, there are only hard facts, you either win or lose, things are either black or white, grey is for losers and posers.

The linear mindset, tribal tendencies, and the cult of narcissism are mutually reinforcing. Linear thinking lays the foundation for narcissism by viewing the world in terms of discrete elements, as opposed to an integrated whole. The less of a bond we feel with our neighbour the less likely we are to see the wisdom in attending to their interests. Looking out for number one becomes the only fixed point. As each of us lives our lives in this way, we naturally assume that that those around us think the same way. This creates a game of catch as catch can, do it them before they do it unto you. The tribal paradigm takes narcissism to the collective level. The tribe, dominated by narcissists may show solidarity towards the outside world, but will be a house divided against itself. The individual in this type of tribe views their fellow tribe members in one of two ways; as tools to be manipulated to further their own personal agenda, or as competitors vying for status within the group.

These three elements work together to generate our current worldview. The relative strength in the mix of each one of the three may vary from culture to culture, but the overall effect is always the same.

Each member of the tribe is placed in a position where they must choose between two options, complicity and exile. Fear, rather than mutual respect, becomes the glue that binds the group together. An example of this is when a questionable act is committed, which furthers the interests of the group. In these situations, the security of each individual requires that everyone in the group be culpable for the act. If this is not the case, than those who are innocent become witnesses, and therefore mortal threats, to those who committed the crime.

Perhaps the most famous example provided by history is the assassination of Julius Caesar by the senators. It was critical that all present, Brutus among them, drive their dagger into the aspiring tyrant. The same principle applies to any powerful group, be it a crime family, political party or the senior management of a large corporation.

Once the tribe member has been allowed in to the inner sanctum of the tribe, the choice between complicity and exile is illusory. The insider, by definition, knows too much. They have seen the backstage machinations, which underpin the myth. Should they share what they know with those on the outside they could threaten the entire status quo. Given that the group is a collection of narcissists, for whom all others are merely means to their own personal ends, should someone become a threat they would not find it difficult to justify doing what ever it took to protect their security. Consequently, an insider who breaks rank and attempts to get out faces the spectre of almost certain annihilation. This principle applies to a Wall Street investment banker no less than to a mafia king pin.

What if these puppeteers sitting around the table, so pleased with their stature in this world, were no less puppets than those they deceive; perhaps even more so because they are forever the prisoners of their own delusions of grandeur. They are like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, bit players in a bigger drama, suffering from the delusions that they themselves are the antagonists. The rest of us just might wake up from the grand illusion we all share, but they never will!

John Berling Hardy is author of the e-book “Have We Been
Played?- The Hidden Game Revealed.” The insights contained in
this series give you the Edge. To find out more about the carefully
guarded secret shared by all those who enjoy power and prestige visit
Have We Been Played.com.

At first glance, the players seem to have an absolute hold on the game they created. They are the majority; they hold the higher ground and with it a permanent, built in advantage in. What then is the outsider to do against such insuperable odds?

We need to find a strategy that allows us to play the game from a weaker position. The strategies that the players employ are all premised upon having the higher ground, having the advantage of leverage. This is at once the strength and weakness of the status quo. On a daily basis it affords them the luxury of being able to win consistently with relatively little risk or effort.

Meanwhile, they become dependent upon this advantageous position; and when the trump is removed from their hand, they really have no idea of how to cope with the situation they find themselves in. They will usually resort to what they know; bluff and bluster, which only serve to worsen their predicament, as they amplify the downward spiral in which they find themselves. The outsider, on the other hand, has no such advantage. Therefore, we must rely upon intelligence and stealth, to create our good fortune.

Fortunately, players are particularly susceptible to being played. The great majority of players are nothing more than one-trick ponies. The players never expect the sheep to use their own tactics against them. The reason for this is twofold.

Firstly, they are fully convinced that the rest of us are fools, and as such, incapable of believing that they could be up to something. Secondly, they do not believe that those outside their ranks have the requisite shrewdness to come up with schemes to counter their own.

On the surface, we seduce the player, lulling them into a false sense of security while we go about their undoing. To do this, we must first develop ways of identifying them. Next, we must learn to understand their nuances, so that we may differentiate between various types of players and thereby better attune our movements to theirs. Next, we observe their movements to discern the underlying pattern hidden beneath. Players are always on their game. That is to say, they never let up in pursuing their hidden agenda.

Believing themselves to be infallible prevents them from learning from their mistakes. Add to this their lack of interest in anything that does not immediately benefit them, causes them to lack depth. This then severely restricts their ability to be innovative when problems do arise.

Finally, not being able to engage in any situation in which they are not guaranteed success makes the player into a coward and further restricts their range of movement. It is little wonder that the players need this elaborate ruse, called the hidden game; for without it they would have nothing, and be nothing.

John Berling Hardy is author of the e-book “Have We Been
Played?- The Hidden Game Revealed.” The insights contained in
this series give you the Edge. To find out more about the carefully
guarded secret shared by all those who enjoy power and prestige visit
Have We Been Played.com.

After the sales meeting, during which he stresses personal service to his clients, as his winning formula, you are not likely to hear from him until it is time for a progress payment. Despite being a master-electrician, Nunzio devotes his time to selling and collecting exclusively.

I have known Nunzio for several years. One of his favorite lines is: Johnny, I have got your back. Over the years, one thing I have come to count on is that anytime I really do need Nunzio, he will give me a compelling reason why he cannot do what I am asking of him. At least, not right then. Despite this, in his own mind, Nunzio is fully convinced that he has had my back for a long time, for which he is owed a debt of gratitude. Gratitude is a bit of a sore spot for Nunzio. He spends a lot of time dwelling on how much he does for others and how little he receives in return. The construction industry is cyclical and contractors are going out of business all the time. Many truly worthy electricians close up shop. Nunzio not only endures; he thrives. Nunzio is a player!

Players come in all shapes and sizes. They can be the Wall Street tycoon, but they can just as easily be the local real estate agent, school principal, or, as in the case of Nunzio, a contractor. The degree of finesse with which they ply their trade may vary, but at heart they are all essentially the same. So then, what are these distinguishing features, which make the players so different from the rest of us?

Firstly, players are born, not made. The player is compulsive; they cannot but play. Their manipulations, their deceitfulness, their twisting and bending the truth to always reflect well on them and further their aims is more of a reflex than a conscious choice. Being a player is not a matter of choice, but destiny.

The player lies and manipulates with such facility that, in a very real sense, they cannot truly distinguish between fact and fiction. Their fabrications are as real for them as the veritable facts are for the rest of us. There is none among us who does not in some way bend the truth to suit. Nonetheless, even though our variations of a particular event may vary, they will not diverge completely.

For a player, the facts are the bare canvas upon which they paint masterpieces, which have only the vaguest relation to what actually took place. In a sense, the player is as mad as a hatter, but their particular brand of psychosis is so socially adaptive that if we were to brand them as insane, we would be indicting the entire society we live in.

One quality common to all players worth highlighting is an absolute absence of empathy. This cannot be stressed strongly enough. To say that players lack empathy is actually a gross understatement. The player is wholly indifferent to the suffering of anyone but themselves. Nunzio is completely blind to the fact that he never follows through on his extravagant commitments, yet he is acutely aware of even the pettiest slight to his reputation. To the extent that another strokes their vanity, or is useful in some way, they are tolerated. If these conditions are, for whatever reason, no longer met, the other simply ceases to exist.

Another quality that players share is an uncanny ability to stay on message. Be it O.J. Simpson protesting his innocence, or Dick Cheney justifying the Bush doctrine, they live by the famous quote from Talleyrand: he who excuses himself, accuses himsel. No matter what information is provided to refute their claims, they stick to their guns to the bitter end. As much as this sounds pathological, it actually works very much in their favor. The sheer relentlessness, with which they maintain their position, eventually makes us unsure of our own.

Players have a healthy disdain for anything approximating work. Be it creative, intellectual or menial, it is simply below them. You will always find them well away from the din of battle. They occupy themselves with selling, promoting, and marketing on the one side and with all things related to money, on the other. Anything between the two, the actual creation of the product, for instance, is of no interest to them. Being free from the pressures most of us experience in trying to meet deadlines and just keeping on keeping on, players are the picture of cool, unwavering composure; never in a rush, never flustered, and never busy.

Players are naturally drawn to wealth and power. It makes sense that those jobs, social settings and tribes with the highest status will attract the greatest concentration of players.

So the next time you watch a sales pitch on television, a political address, or a sermon from a charismatic preacher, take amount and ask yourself : Is this a player? Am I being played?

John Berling Hardy is author of the e-book “Have We Been
Played?- The Hidden Game Revealed.” The insights contained in
this series give you the Edge. To find out more about the carefully
guarded secret shared by all those who enjoy power and prestige visit
Have We Been Played.com.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the scam was easy to operate. The fraudsters worked in groups, and while one person placed liquid or paper on the floor of a retail store, another person would step on it, slip and fall. A third person would act as a lookout to ensure that store employees remained unaware of the accident. They would then file a claim for a slip and fall accident resulting in an average payout of between $4,000 to 8,000. The scam involved 33 people who seem to have filed at least 60 fraudulent claims with 16 insurance companies that targeted big retailers in Illinois and Wisconsin between August of 2005 and February of this year.

Insurance investigators initiated a probe after they began to notice frequent and suspicious claims. Officials at Zurich North America have said that they worked with postal inspectors to unravel the scam. According to officials at Zurich North America in Schaumburg, the con artists would strike as often as three times a day. A US attorney has been assigned to the case, and so far, no arrests have been made. The con artists filed the case under the retailer’s medical payment policy, meaning that they had compensation checks directly mailed to the clinic.

According to Steve Bernas, who is the president and chief executive officer of Better Business Bureau, he has seen an increased number of scams with the economic recession. In fact, Bernas says that the number of frauds he sees right now are much higher than at any previous time in the 22 years he’s been with the Better Business Bureau.

California premises liability lawyers constantly represent victims injured in a slip and fall accident and other premises liability claims. News of this fraud is extremely distressing. Premises liability lawyers frequently come across people who have been seriously injured with fractured bones, head injuries and back injuries through unsafe conditions in retail stores, hotels, malls and other public areas. These people deserved to be rightfully compensated for the injuries, and when scammers pull a fast one on the authorities, it makes it that much harder for genuine victims to obtain the justice they deserve.

A slip and fall accident is just one way a person can be injured on another person’s premises. However, this is the most common mode of injury. Premises owners are required to make sure that walking surfaces are slip resistant, spaces are well illuminated and that stairways and other areas are safe to use. There must be adequate guardrails and hand rails to prevent accidental falls, and any spills must be mopped immediately. Store shelves must be stacked safely to prevent goods from toppling over.

Besides slip and fall accidents, premises owners are also required to reasonably secure their premises, and help prevent the possibility of violent assaults and rapes on visitors, guests, shoppers, patients, diners and other people on the premises.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.