OPPORTUNISTIC FRAUD

Call it a new category... opportunistic fraud. It's not a particular scam, but rather a series of scams based on the fact that the economy is bad, the public is worried... some even to the point of panic... and with confusion, comes profit.

For example:

*** A phone call comes in from a car manufacturer or dealer offering you an extended warranty. The problem --- it's coming from someone who is not in the warranty business. Ask them what model and make car you own. If they don't know, they'll hang up.

*** A cold call arrives offering health insurance based on the President's proposals for national health care, offering special introductory prices for those first citizens who sign up. The problem --- the President's national health care scheme is still on the drawing boards and the people cold calling aren't in the health care business.

*** Automobile arson fraud. You can't meet the car payments, so you torch the car to collect on the insurance. The Problem --- insurance investigators know how to spot arson, and insurance lawyers know how to phone the cops.

*** Inflated values on claims for lost, stolen or missing items, like jewelry. The problem - insurance adjusters weren't born yesterday. If you report it stolen, you'd better have a police report that holds up.

*** Medical identity theft. The problem - the patient may be entitled to benefits, but if someone can claim them in his name first, in essence stealing the patient's identity and health, that's fraud. And it's not going to work for long because the patient is going to notice.