By Life Quotes, Inc.
Identity theft was one of the key factors in a recent insurance fraud scheme, according to a report by the Sun Sentinel newspaper in South Florida.
Daniel Madeus, 32, allegedly used the identity of a physician to steal money from five health insurance companies. He had not received permission to use the physician’s name, despite meeting with him earlier. Boynton Beach chiropractor, Dr. Joseph Flagello, had discussed the possibility of going into business with Madeus and was given paperwork to that effect, the newspaper report says.
He pulled out of the business arrangement after Madeus made promises that seemed “too good to be true,” the report says.
“He just didn’t sound legitimate and it seemed that he was not going to do things in an ethical way and a legal way,” Flagello tells the Sun Sentinel.
Madeus had already obtained the information he would need to claim $1.5 million in fraudulent insurance bills, according to the report, while operating the Health and Wellness Rehabilitation Center, Inc. He was recently arrested and released on $30,000 bail.
Crimes of this kind can lead to higher premiums for those who use health insurance policies lawfully because they are forced to make up for losses incurred through theft.
