Most people are guilty of stretching the truth at some point. (What they generally don’t count on is having their supposed “facts” reviewed for accuracy. They hope that their claims will be taken at face value without further investigation.) An article published in The Las Vegas Review-Journal tells how the former employee of a donut shop stretched the truth about an alleged injury he sustained while employed. As a result, he received more than $150,000 in medical treatment and benefits before being caught.
The story states that the man filed for workers’ compensation stating that he suffered a major back injury and sustained a permanent partial disability. (Who knew that making donuts could cause a serious back injury?)
The fraudster received workers’ compensation benefits for more than one year before being discovered by the employer’s insurance company. (Apparently, he failed to disclose a previous work-related injury and denied any pre-existing conditions multiple times.) In reality, the man operated a handyman business and performed activities that his doctor had advised him not to do because of his injury. (He apparently fibbed about his physical limitations so that he could receive benefits he did not deserve.)
The 49-year-old man pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced. He is facing up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. (All because he stretched the truth.)
This particular fraudster obviously did not count on having insurance fact checkers review his claims in depth. (This case and others like it not only drive up the cost of insurance coverage for employers, but also cause innocent taxpayers to pick up the bill for the illegal activities.) It’s important to remember to stick to the truth in all matters, especially when dealing with claims submitted to the government.
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