On April 18, 2016, the deadline for filing your income tax return to IRS, an official from the Honolulu tax office went on HawaiiNewsNow to warn people about tax scams. Even after tax season passes, scammers may try to bully you into paying a tax bill you do not owe. They may threaten to arrest
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On March 11, 2016 the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported a mother and daughter on the Big Island pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud. They knowingly and intentionally submitted false notes and timesheets to Medicaid in order to collect Medicaid payment. During January and March, the U.S. Department of Justice reported convictions related to home health care schemes
In the scam attempt reported to SMP Hawaii, below, the caller said she represented EZ Doctors. According to their website, EZ Doctors offers medical discount plans. The phone number the caller gave for EZ Doctors was not the phone number shown on their website. Our search on the phone number given by the caller uncovered
On November 6, 2015, a Hawaii senior called the Hawaii Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to report a phone call she received. The caller said she represented a physician referral company and they had a “new medical package” for her. They needed her credit card number in order to ship the package to her. The senior
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported on 10/31/15 Queen’s Medical Center agreed to pay $1.5 million to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), one of 70 settlements totaling more than $250 million in a case that involved 457 hospitals in 43 states. The government alleged the hospitals implanted cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, in Medicare patients too soon
On September 11, 2015, the Star-Advertiser reported a warning from the Honolulu Fire Department about bogus calls offering to install home fire extinguishers. According to Fire Department officials, no one from the Fire Department is authorized to make calls to offer or install fire extinguishers in homes. Also be aware the Fire Department does not
Beware of SNAP scammers! On October 7, 2015, the National Council on Aging reported receiving reports about scammers who say they are calling from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The callers tell you they will help you apply for SNAP and other assistance and need your personal information, such as your bank account
HMSA Patient Data Hacked Again! Previously, SMP Hawaii posted a fraud alert about a cyberattack on Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, which exposed patient records of HMSA members that received health care services on the mainland. This time, hackers got into the database of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in New York. If you are a current or former
A data breach at health insurer Anthem Inc. occurred in early February 2015, and affected about 80 million customers, including an estimated 18,000 current and former HMSA members. HMSA members who received medical care outside Hawaii may have been affected. Names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other information that can be used