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Medicare Scam / Criminal Impersonation/Identity Theft

DATE & TIME: 04-12-2019 @ 1300

LOCATION: Rural Blue Springs, Nebraska   

OFFENSE: Medicare Scam / Criminal Impersonation/Identity Theft

CASE #: 2019-1808

An investigator for the Gage County Sheriff’s Office was notified by a Beatrice jeweler that a customer had possibly been the victim of identity theft and a Medicare scam. The investigator contacted the victim who stated she had received several medical devices via FedEx back in November, but she had not ordered them and did not want to be responsible for their cost, so she sent the first two back and refused to accept the other devices. She sent two of the devices back and it cost her over $60.00 in postage.

The investigator confirmed she had not lost anything other than postage, then advised her that a few days before he had called her, federal law enforcement authorities had announced several arrests throughout the nation and seized assets and property. This scam involved obtaining a Medicare beneficiary’s information, having a doctor, acting as a confederate, prescribe the medical devices, then shipping them to people and billing Medicare. The federal government, in the most recent case, estimated $1.7 billion in fraudulent Medicare costs had been billed.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office cautions people regarding providing personal or confidential information to persons over the phone, in person, or vial the Internet or US Mail. If you receive a suspicious contact, notify your local police department or call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator. 

This was the second Medicare fraud reported to the sheriff’s office in a week time frame, however reporting indicates this is an ongoing issue and may occur multiple times to each victim.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310