APS urges all customers to be aware of possible fraud

CONSUMER ALERT:

NEW SCAM HAS SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS 

CALLING FAKE CALL CENTER

APS urges all customers to be aware of possible fraud

PHOENIX – Several small businesses in the Phoenix metro area have been called by individuals falsely representing themselves as APS employees. The potential victims are instructed to call a toll-free number to pay their electric bill under threat of having service disconnected within the hour.

The false number goes to a phone system that acts and sounds like the actual APS call center. Customers are asked to select a number for the service they require, including reporting an outage. After selecting the option to pay your bill, an individual picks up the phone and says, “This is Wendy (or another name), thanks for calling APS. How can I help you?”

If a potential fraud victim begins to question the fake APS employee, the response is rude, followed by a disconnection of the call.  

APS security, local law enforcement and the FBI are currently working together to apprehend those responsible.  

To help customers from becoming a victim of consumer scams, including the most recent attempts, APS provides the following suggestions:

• The only valid numbers to the customer call center are listed on customer bills
• If there is ever a question about the validity of an email, website or person claiming to be an APS representative, call the APS Customer Care Center immediately at 602-371-7171 in order to verify this information.
• Recognize the signs of a phishing email: mismatched fonts, missing hyperlinks, improper grammar and misspellings.
• Never share credit card information with an unverified source. Customers who pay by credit card at aps.com will be directed to the KUBRA EZ-Pay website which asks the customer to enter a “captcha” validation code. Any other credit card payment site is fraudulent and should not be used (A “captcha” typically uses a set of letters and numbers that the user is required to manually retype and submit).

APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves nearly 1.2 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

Court issues final orders in theft/fraud case

Court Issues Final Orders in Theft/Fraud Case

Court allows third-party claimant to take $4,050.00 

from the $43,000.00 deposited with the court by defendant Jacque Nelson 

for restitution to the Bouse School District.

Parker, AZ - On Friday, February 6, 2015 Superior Court Judge Robert C. Olson issued the final orders in State v. Nelson.  The Judge ordered the distribution of the remaining $38,950.00 and vacated the final restitution hearing set for later this month.  The court ordered that the school district be paid in full from the sum previously deposited by Ms. Jacque Nelson. The Court also ordered that the remainder of the $43,000.00 be paid to the insurance company as partial reimbursement, with the remainder to be paid in monthly installments when Nelson is released from prison.

Ms. Nelson was convicted of two crimes against the Bouse Elementary School District pursuant to a plea agreement negotiated by County Attorney Tony Rogers, who said Nelson wrote herself checks from the District's funds. For the crime of theft she will serve 1.5 years in the Arizona State Department of Corrections.  For the crime of fraudulent schemes, a class 2 felony, she will serve 7 years of supervised “White Collar” probation to follow her release from prison.

White Collar Probation is a strict program which requires that the probation department monitor all aspects of Ms. Nelson’s financial dealings.   She is prohibited from incurring new debts without permission and from gambling.  In addition she is required to submit to a review of all her accounting records. Ms. Nelson is also required to release information for all banking accounts and tax returns, not open new checking accounts, provide proof of all household income and pay a minimum of 10% of that household income toward restitution to the victims.  She must also notify any employer of this conviction.

Violation of this probation could result in an additional prison sentence of up to 12.5 years.

As part of the plea agreement Ms. Nelson deposited with the court clerk $43,000.00 for restitution to the victims, to be distributed between Bouse School District and  their insurer, who had already covered the school’s losses in part. 

County Attorney, Tony Rogers stated: “The plea agreement was structured to provide justice, community safety, and restitution, compensating the Bouse School District for all of its financial losses, including nearly $20,000.00 for the cost of the forensic accounting and investigation into the theft.”

The Judgment, Sentencing, and Distribution Hearings were held on Friday January 9, 2015.  During those proceedings several individuals claiming to be victims of Ms. Nelson described their losses to the court.  The Judge found one individual had a colorable claim on the funds Ms. Nelson had deposited with the court for restitution to the school.  The court awarded Mr. Kirk Wilson $4,050.00.

County Attorney Tony Rogers states “This was Ms. Nelson’s first criminal conviction.  While prison is not the norm for a first time conviction, this case was unique due to the number and severity of the offenses and victims discovered during the investigation. The seven years of White Collar probation following her incarceration insures that the community will be protected from future financial crimes by Ms. Nelson through close monitoring of her financial dealings.  And finally, the prison sentence sends the right message, that perpetrators of financial crime will be held accountable in La Paz County.”

Senior Medicare Patrol seeks volunteers in La Paz County and Quartzsite

ARIZONA SEEKS SENIORS TO BATTLE MEDICARE FRAUD

Statewide campaign seeks civic minded senior citizens to serve as

Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers

PHOENIX (October 1, 2013) – Arizona is ramping up its efforts to recruit senior volunteers for its statewide Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) project. Arizona's SMP project is part of a nationwide Administration on Aging (AoA) initiative that enlists retired and semi retired senior volunteers to combat Medicare fraud by educating and counseling beneficiaries to be alert and aware of scam activity.

"There are no exact figures on the cost of health care fraud in the United States, but annual losses are billions of dollars each year by all estimates," said Patricia Gonzalez-Emblem, SMP director for the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Aging and Adult Services. "Medicare fraud comprises a significant portion of the dollars lost because seniors are such a vulnerable target for scams." 

Through education and outreach, Arizona's SMP volunteers help Medicare are helping to crack down on scam artists, doctors, medical equipment suppliers, hospitals, prescription drug companies and others who seek to profit by preying on our state's vulnerable senior population.

SMP volunteers receive a 30-hour training that covers the patrol's mission, Medicare basics and how to recognize Medicare fraud and abuse and what to do about it. After completing the training, they are well equipped to disseminate information to Medicare beneficiaries, family members, caregivers, social service professionals and others within their local communities. SMP volunteers are then matched with opportunities that meet their skills and areas of interest, whether it's conducting outreach through group presentations, exhibiting at community events, answering calls to the SMP help lines, or one-on-one counseling.

"Face-to-face interaction is the most effective way to reach seniors with this information, which is why we need volunteers in communities throughout Arizona," said Gonzalez-Emblem, SMP director for the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Division of Aging and Adult Services (DES / DAAS). "Hispanic seniors are particularly vulnerable and comprise a sizeable percentage of our state's population, making bilingual volunteers vitally important to our recruitment process."

Arizona currently has 120 volunteers conducting statewide outreach, however many more are needed to keep up with our state's ever growing senior population.

Protect, Detect, Report is the mantra SMP senior volunteers teach to help Medicare beneficiaries proactively protect themselves against fraudulent, wasteful and unethical healthcare practices. Through one-on-one counseling, SMP volunteers teach beneficiaries skills that will help prevent fraud and abuse from occurring in the first place, such as: how to treat their Medicare number as they would their credit cards; how to use a journal to track medical services and healthcare instructions; how to read their Medicare benefits statements; and how to get answers to billing questions.

Nearly 4,500 SMP volunteers are recruited and trained every year to provide outreach and education in every state and many U.S. territories. Since the SMP project was initiated in 1997, more than 27 million people have been reached through community presentations, more than 5 million beneficiaries have been educated, and more than 30,000 volunteers have been active. The program is attributed with saving taxpayers, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries $106 million.

For more information about Arizona's SMP volunteer project, call (602) 542-6439 or visit www.azdes.gov/daas/ship/ferretoutfraud.

 If you suspect Medicare fraud, call the statewide toll-free number 1-800-432-4040.

Wallow Fire Fraud Alert

HORNE ISSUES WARNING:

WALLOW FIRE DISASTER ATTRACTS CONSUMER FRAUD AND SCAMS

PHOENIX (Thursday, June 9, 2011) -- Attorney General Tom Horne issued a warning today that Arizonans need to be wary of consumer scams and other fraudulent schemes that may appear as criminal predators take advantage of the disastrous Wallow Fire.

“Disasters such as the Wallow Fire often bring out the very best in people who work cooperatively to help each other. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true as scam artists and frauds use the tragedy to exploit vulnerable victims or con generous people into giving to fraudulent charities,” Horne said.

“My office is releasing a guide to protecting yourself from fraudulent schemes,” he added. “It is important that all Arizonans, whether they are personally affected by the Wallow Fire or the other fires that are currently burning in the state get this information so they are not further victimized in an already tragic situation.”

Among the tips that fire victims need to consider are:
•If you have insurance, contact your insurance company first and file your claim. Your insurance company’s adjuster will provide an estimate.
•Whether you are insured or not, obtain at least two estimates on work in writing before choosing a contractor to repair your home or remove debris.
•Never enter into or sign a contract while reviewing it quickly.
•Don’t pay for services you have yet to receive. Make progress payments as the terms of your agreement are being met.

The consumer guide also cautions people about potentially fraudulent charities:

•To help victims of the Wallow Fire or other Arizona fire disasters, consider donating to nationally known and legitimate charities, like the Red Cross, rather than charities that you may not recognize.
•Don’t judge a charity by its name. False charities may use names that closely resemble legitimate charities.
•Don’t let callers play on your sympathy by identifying their organization with the fire. This can be a tactic to get your money.
•Don’t be pressured. Give only when you are comfortable with the charity.
•Avoid cash donations and make checks payable to the organization, not to an individual.

The full Wildfire Consumer Protection Warning guide is available at:

http://www.azag.gov/consumer/DISASTER_RECOVERY_CONSUMER_HANDOUT.pdf