ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Changes To IRS Whistleblower Program Targeting Off-Shore Tax Avoidance Rewards Increasing  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rewards people who blow the whistle on corporations and individuals who fail to pay the tax that they owe.  I.R.C. § 7623(b).  The award percentage depends on several factors, but generally falls […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Elderly Client In Assisted Care Facility Financial Advisor Pled Guilty To Financial Elder Abuse Victim Nearly Evicted For Unpaid Bills Financial Powers of Attorney (POAs) grant the agent acting under them broad powers over a principal’s financial affairs.  See Cal. Prob. Code §§ 4401 (financial POA).  The agent […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Withdrawals From 92-Year-Old Victim’s Account Forged Checks Totaling $137,000 Another Caregiver Helps Victim Discover Thefts Financial elder abuse of a senior may include unauthorized use of credit and debit cards and ATMs and forged checks.  Whenever a caregiver or other stranger is in a senior’s home these are […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Early Detection Important All Seniors Are Potential Victims Of Financial Elder Abuse What To Look For Financial elder abuse is a crime and grounds for civil liability against any person who wrongfully takes money or property belonging to a senior, and anyone assisting that person or persons.  See, […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER How Deferred Annuities Work Pitfalls For Seniors Questionable Sales Tactics Some insurance agents become quite aggressive when selling insurance products like certain forms of life insurance and deferred annuities. Sales of these policies generate substantial sales commissions and agents may not fully disclose all the facts about these […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Alleged Violations Of Anti-Kickback Statute And Stark Law Improper Financial Inducements For Referrals Physician Whistleblower Will Receive $3 Million Reward Federal law prohibits financial inducements for referrals by physicians and other health care providers for patient services.  See Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7(b), and Stark Law, 42 […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Many Victims Were Elderly Customers Unauthorized Trades And Money Transfers Money Allegedly Spent On Gold Coins And Luxury Goods Financial advisors and brokers have access to customer accounts and unscrupulous advisors and brokers use that access to steal from clients, especially elderly clients who may not catch irregularities […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Isolated Seniors Vulnerable To Neglect And Abuse Financial Exploitation May Accompany Neglect Of Patient Recourse For Families And Injured Seniors Seniors and dependent persons under the care of in-home caregivers may be at risk of neglect and isolation and at the same time financial abuse by those caregivers […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Questionable Annuities Sales Tactics High Commissions Drive Sales Steep Withdrawal Penalties And Lengthy Surrender Periods Agents receive substantial commissions for the selling annuities to seniors. Often annuity sales are closed on incomplete information. The consumer may not understand how these complicated contracts work and for seniors this can […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Ineligible Certifications Of Hospice Patients Alleged Payments For Non-Terminally Ill Patients Three Former Employees And Physician Blow Whistle Healthcare fraud against government programs like Medicare costs taxpayers billions every year.  Private persons with knowledge of such fraud can bring a whistleblower suit (known as a qui tam action) […]