Insurance companies understand that not all of their clients are honest and trustworthy. An insurance company knows that some of their customers will try and submit false claims in order to collect money. Although this may be a rare occurrence, a recent investigation has uncovered a scheme by 18 NBA players to defraud an insurance company.
Insurance fraud scheme
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York recently announced that 18 former NBA basketball players have been participating in a multi-million-dollar scheme that sought to defraud the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. Led by Terrance Williams, former New Jersey Nets and Houston Rockets player, the plan defrauded the insurance company by nearly $4 million and Williams and 15 others have been apprehended. He is now charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Seventeen other players and one of their spouses are also facing the same charges. Participants in the scheme allegedly filed false medical claims with the fabricated medical invoices needed to make the claims provided by Williams.
Insurance law attorney
Insurance companies know that they have to always be vigilant for fraud. It can be too tempting for a person to submit false claims. An attorney who specializes in insurance law can help an insurance company who believe they have an insurance fraud issue. An attorney can take the time to investigate the claim, consult with law enforcement, and aggressively pursue any legal action that needs to be taken. Their goal is to protect their client’s best interests in an effective manner.