Fraud

Florida has launched a new contract fraud prevention portal, a pilot program aimed at protecting those affected by Hurricane Milton.

A loophole in state law makes it easy for criminals to commit fraud, Hillsborough Clerk of Courts Cindy Stuart said.

There are those who come to town just to fleece storm victims. Here are some ways you can avoid becoming a victim.

The Department of Justice charged 193, including 76 licensed medical professionals, throughout the country as part of the action. Many of those indicted are from Florida.

A Manatee County woman with no training in mental health services pretended to be a licensed social worker during online therapy sessions with Brightside Health patients.

Iowa’s attorney general sued two proprietors - one from the Tampa area - she says were responsible for deceptive mailings in her state. Her claims shine a light on unproven and expensive stem cell scams.

With tens of thousands of Americans already affected by enrollment scams that leave some without doctors or treatments, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wants increased enforcement against rogue agents.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida alleges that large call centers were used to enroll people into Affordable Care Act plans or to switch their coverage, all without their permission.

Elizabeth Hernandez, 45, routinely billed more than 24 hours of “office visits” in a day and pocketed about $1.6 million, federal prosecutors said.

A grand jury returned an indictment that includes charges of fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions.

Patrick Parker Walsh was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay back the $7.8 million to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

A months-long examination found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk Medicaid, Medicare and other taxpayer-funded federal programs.