Taringa: SPRINGHILL GROUP KOREA: Seoul To Have just two workers

http://www.taringa.net/posts/noticias/15610814/SPRINGHILL-GROUP-KOREA_-Seoul-to-have-just-two-workers.html



Flixya - September 20, 2012 - " SPRINGHILL GROUP KOREA '" - An average of two Seoul Citizens Would Have to work to support one elderly by 2039 amid the falling birth rate and rising life expectancy, statistics Showed Wednesday. Currently working an average of 7.4 people support each senior citizen. The demographic change is Feared to squeeze the city's workforce, threatening growth and Pension Systems. The data based on a survey by the Statistics Korea Also Indicated That the number of youth aged 1 to 14 is forecast to Decrease by 25 percent to 1.3 million . As a result, young people would comprise 10.3 percent, 60.1 percent the work force and 29.6 percent of senior citizens the Seoul population. The number of senior citizens over 65 prepared for retired life has Increased from 35 percent to 47.1 percent. Among elders over 60, 97.3 percent Wished to receive welfare services. Among the options, 34.1 percent wanted health examinations, 24 percent and 14.2 percent wanted nursing assistance wanted housework. The number of working Citizens over 60 hit 471.000 Also last year, a 50.5 percent increase from 313.000 in 2001.

Statistics data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Predicts That in 27 years, the working-age population Between 15 and 64 would drop 26 percent to 5.99 million and senior citizens aged 65 and over are expected to grow 172 percent to 2.95 million. South Korea has one Lowest of the birth rates in the world, with an average of 1.24 babies per household.Korea también Rapidly becoming an aged society due to Increased lifespan, with over 14 percent of the population being 65 and older. A separate survey in 2011 by the Municipal Authorities Showed That 31.7 percent of Citizens are willing to pay more taxes for the welfare of senior citizens, an Increase from 26.1 percent in 2007.

Investor Center Report –posterous – tumblr - blog

http://evanturk81.blog.com/2012/08/09/investor-center-report-livejournal-posterous-tumblr/

May 30, 2012 | Author springhillcare
Scam, Frauds and identity theft are just some of the threats encountering by the internet users. For the new users this kind of occurrence during their search or conversation on the internet can give them quite idea that these are likely important and can simply hook them up in just a single click. So, if you are one of them and or think that you have been a witness of these blue moons or just simply to be aware about and safeguard yourself, below are the lists of activities or actions that you can take in order to put a fence on your side.
1. Do not use or carry a checkbook
When you are paying stuff, it suggests being it in cash or credit card. It’s safer to pay your bills through your bank or credit unification online bill paying service which is usually free.
2. Buy and use a paper cutter
Identity thieves actually go through homeowner’s trash to acquire personal information. For you to put off these thieves objectives, feel Secure to cut any documents that have your social security number or other financial information, such as the bank account number of yours, credit card numbers and the like that can possibly give these people your personal identity. If you don’t have paper cutter make use of an alternative through burning these documents completely.
3. Freeze your credit
This is to hands off scammers from opening unauthorized accounts in your name or identity. Even if your state is one of the few that does not allow freeze, you can still freeze your files at some of the leading major credit bureaus out there.
4. Make a Do-not-Call List
5. Make a statement to block credit card offers
6. Always put your Social Security card in a safe place
When you renew your driver’s license, make sure the DMV does not use your Social Security number as your driver’s license number.
7. Make use of a different email addresses
8. Use a separate email address
This is when you post messages to any public forum, such as newsgroups and mailing lists. Make an email account for such private conversation purposes and for another for your public identity to put a stop to this growing identity theft. Never use your personal email address in public because you might receive a number of different spams. You can periodically check this email account to see what spam is and what isn’t. A bonus is that Yahoo’s spam blocker is better than those from most ISP’s! And your main personal email address won’t be as clogged with spam. Some ISP’s like AOL and BellSouth.net give you multiple email accounts free with your paid service.
9. Do not give any financial information
Your money in the bank is the major goal of scammers. So when you are on the situation of asking somebody your financial account which reason is pleasing to the ear such as they are just to check your account and credit card number, specifically you social security number on the phone or online, unless you initiate the call and you know the organization you’re dealing with.
10. Do not put an interest into such “win a vacation”
Do not fill out the “win a vacation” and other promotions you see in stores and shopping malls. Upon writing or entertaining it can give you junk mailing list and guarantee calls from persistent, high-pressure salesmen.
11. Do not make an advance copy of your driver’s license, telephone, or social security numbers on your checks.
12. Report lost or stolen checks right away.
The bank can block payment on the check numbers that are missing. Also, review new checks you receive, to make sure none has been stolen in transit.
13. Store new and cancelled checks, credit card statements, medical bills, anything with confidential information, in a safe place and cut or burn them when you are done with them.
14. Secure your Personal Identification Numbers of Pin Numbers for your ATM and credit cards, and do not write on anything or keep your pins with your cards. You should also secure your ATM card and credit card receipts, for thieves might use it to have access on your accounts.
15. Use different cases in selecting Personal Identification Numbers for your ATM and credit cards, and passwords that allow you to access other accounts. Do not use birth dates, a part your Social Security number or driver’s license number, address, nor children’s or spouse names.
16. Make use of a good anti-virus software anti-adware software and a hardware firewall on your computer, and keep them up to date. You need all three. Almost all modern Routers (Dlink, LinkSys, NetGear, Buffalo, Airlink, etc.) have a hardware firewall built in. See the left side of this page for the current recommendation for ant-virus / anti-malware programs.
17. Don’t make an outgoing mail in your mailbox
Drop it into a secure, official Postal Service collection box. Thieves may use your mail to steal your identity.
18. Report to the company immediately, if regular bills fail to reach you.
Someone might give a false record of you and your family to divert your information to his or her address.
19. If your bills include suspicious charges, do not ignore it.
Instead, investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud before it occurs.
20. Check your credit report every day.
Federal laws enable you to acquire one form credit report from each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies per year.
21. Prefer to use disposable addresses
There are services online; some are free like SneakMail that provides you disposable addresses that can be deleted if they begin to receive spam messages. The disposable email addresses forwards email to a real email address of yours, but the sender cannot see this. If you create a unique address for each email newsletter or forum you subscribe to you can get rid of the address is it gets too much spam and just start using another email address.
22. Stop purchasing a product or render any services to any company that sends you spam.
Do not even visit their sites or ask for more information. Always bare in mind that, since they send out millions of spam emails, they only need a tiny fraction of responses to be profitable. And if that doesn’t convince you, consider this: the vast majority of spam “offers” are in fact scams.
23. Filter your email program
Outlook does this quite easily. When you open an email and realize that it is spam, just click on Actions then Create Rule, then select an appropriate action, such as “from” then click “Move e-mail to folder” and select the “Deleted Items” folder. That’s it! You’ll never receive email from that particular address or subject again.
Do not post your address in HTML format
Otherwise you will be spammed, since address-harvesting spiders (programs) extract your email address from the website and add it to the spammer’s lists. Instead use feedback forms through PHP, ASP, or JSP that hide the email address, OR post the email address as a GIF (image file).
2. Do not get so exited
If someone emailed you or sends you message or acknowledgement that you win from lottery or any raffles from a “randomly selected from a database of email addresses.”Lastly, Multi-level marketing is a scam.

see more http://news.springhillcaregroup.net/

springhill group south korea, springhill group: Learn what a CFE can do for you -posterous – tumblr - blog

http://evanturk81.blog.com/2012/08/09/springhill-group-south-korea-springhill-group-learn-what-a-cfe-can-do-for-you-livejournal-posterous-tumblr/

In today’s economic climate, who will help you protect your company and your clients from the devastating impact of fraud?
Fraud can creep into your business in a number of ways.
You may find you need an objective expert to deter potential problems, investigate allegations or provide resolution.
A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) offers anti-fraud knowledge and skills you need to:
• Investigate allegations against one of your employees
• Recommend strong anti-fraud internal controls
• Conduct interviews related to sensitive issues
• Provide assistance with financial dispute resolution
• Resolve irregularities discovered during your company’s audit
• Provide expert testimony on financial and investigative matters
A Unique Set of Skills
Fraud Examiners have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other discipline; they combine knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of law, criminology, investigation and how to resolve allegations of fraud.
CFEs work in a variety of disciplines including accounting, auditing, fraud investigation and security, as well as in different industry segments including government, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and retail distribution.
CFEs are knowledgeable in four areas critical to the fight against fraud:
• Fraudulent Financial Transactions
• Criminology & Ethics
• Legal Elements of Fraud
• Fraud Investigation
Reduce Fraud Risks and Costs
Heightened fraud awareness, combined with new laws and regulations, has increased the already growing demand in the workforce for professionals who are highly skilled at deterring, detecting and investigating fraud.
CFEs have the ability to:
• Identify and reduce opportunities for fraud
• Implement effective anti-fraud controls
• Continuously improve anti-fraud measures based on new risks and technologies
• Educate employees to deter fraud and report wrongdoing
• Resolve allegations or suspicions of fraud
• Assist in the recovery of fraud losses
Experience and Integrity
The standards for CFE certification are set by the ACFE’s Board of Regents, who are elected by CFE members and drawn from the most experienced members of the profession. CFE candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and posses two or more years of professional experience in a field related to fraud deterrence and detection.
The CFE Exam is a rigorous process, testing the knowledge of candidates in all areas of fraud examination. CFEs are required to acquire at least 20 credit hours of continuing professional education each year to ensure that they remain informed, empowered and educated.
Code of Ethics
As leaders who inspire public confidence in the integrity and objectivity of the profession, CFEs adhere to the Certified Fraud Examiners Code of Professional ethics.
The code includes:
• Commitment to professionalism
• Diligence in performance
• Avoidance of conflict of interest
• Testifying truthfully and without bias or prejudice
• Complete confidentiality
• Revelation of all material matters discovered during an examination
• Continued effort to increase the competence and effectiveness of professional services performed under his or her direction

see more http://springhillcaregroup.net/

Kickbacks, Honest Services, and Health Care Fraud after Skilling - kaboodle - zimbio - tumblr

http://evanturk.tumblr.com/post/28401519839/kickbacks-honest-services-and-health-care-fraud-after

Joan H. Krause

 

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill - School of Law

 

August 8, 2012

 

Annals of Health Law, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2012

UNC Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2018589

 

Abstract:    

This essay considers how the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Skilling v. United States, which limited the situations in which mail and wire fraud cases may be premised on violations of the “intangible right to honest services,” has the potential to alter the future of health care fraud litigation. While Skilling is widely perceived to have closed the door to several types of common mail and wire fraud prosecutions, this may not turn out to be the case in health care. In health care, the renewed focus on kickbacks as evidence of an honest services breach instead may dovetail nicely with both the Obama Administration’s emphasis on criminal health care fraud enforcement and the jurisprudence of the Medicare & Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute. This kind of leverage may prove very difficult for prosecutors to resist, and most certainly will require changes in the way the health law bar approaches common Anti-Kickback concerns.

 

Number of Pages in PDF File: 10

 

Keywords: health care fraud, Medicare, white collar crime

 

Accepted Paper Series

 

Date posted: March 8, 2012

 

Suggested Citation

Krause, Joan H., Kickbacks, Honest Services, and Health Care Fraud after Skilling (August 8, 2012). Annals of Health Law, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2012; UNC Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2018589. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2018589

Contact Information

Joan H. Krause (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill - School of Law ( email )

Van Hecke-Wettach Hall, 160 Ridge Road

CB #3380

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3380

United States

919-962-4126 (Phone)

919-962-1277 (Fax)

see more  http://springhillcaregroup.net/ 

Kickbacks, Honest Services, and Health Care Fraud after Skilling - kaboodle - zimbio - tumblr

http://evanturk.tumblr.com/post/28401519839/kickbacks-honest-services-and-health-care-fraud-after

Joan H. Krause

 

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill - School of Law

 

August 8, 2012

 

Annals of Health Law, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2012

UNC Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2018589

 

Abstract:    

This essay considers how the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Skilling v. United States, which limited the situations in which mail and wire fraud cases may be premised on violations of the “intangible right to honest services,” has the potential to alter the future of health care fraud litigation. While Skilling is widely perceived to have closed the door to several types of common mail and wire fraud prosecutions, this may not turn out to be the case in health care. In health care, the renewed focus on kickbacks as evidence of an honest services breach instead may dovetail nicely with both the Obama Administration’s emphasis on criminal health care fraud enforcement and the jurisprudence of the Medicare & Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute. This kind of leverage may prove very difficult for prosecutors to resist, and most certainly will require changes in the way the health law bar approaches common Anti-Kickback concerns.

 

Number of Pages in PDF File: 10

 

Keywords: health care fraud, Medicare, white collar crime

 

Accepted Paper Series

 

Date posted: March 8, 2012

 

Suggested Citation

Krause, Joan H., Kickbacks, Honest Services, and Health Care Fraud after Skilling (August 8, 2012). Annals of Health Law, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2012; UNC Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2018589. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2018589

Contact Information

Joan H. Krause (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill - School of Law ( email )

Van Hecke-Wettach Hall, 160 Ridge Road

CB #3380

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3380

United States

919-962-4126 (Phone)

919-962-1277 (Fax)

see more  http://springhillcaregroup.net/ 

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud - blogger - kaboodle - zimbio - tumblr

http://evanturk.tumblr.com/post/28401604348/n-korean-refugees-investigated-for-insurance-fraud

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean police said on Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won (S$1.16 million) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Medicare Fraud in Florida-blogger

http://evanturk-springhillcaregroup.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/medicare-fraud-in-florida.html

It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who once said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ Unfortunately, there are many people in our society that neglect their responsibility and abuse their power. Those who commit fraud against people who are disabled are especially heinous.

Recently, the state of Florida has had to deal with an overwhelming amount of Medicare fraud. The estimated cost of the most recently interrupted scheme of illegal billings is around $200 million dollars, and it was perpetrated by at least ten different offenders. So far, they have all either pled guilty or been convicted of crimes ranging from money laundering to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. There were several different companies involved in the scheme, which involved falsifying records and intentional misreporting of facts to Medicare.

Essentially what these criminals were doing was incorrectly reporting that some patients qualified for home health care when, in fact, they did not. Once these falsified certifications were sent to Medicare, the defendants would then bill Medicare for services that were not only unnecessary, but we usually not even provided.

The scheme went even further into the health care industry when perpetrators began contacting legitimate medical facilities and providers and offered them compensation for help in falsifying documents. These providers, which even included some doctors, would receive kick-backs for giving personal information to the defendants.

So far, ten people have been convicted of Medicare fraud as a result of this scheme in the last year. Those convicted of money laundering crimes have been sentenced or will be given sentences of at least three years in prison. Those convicted of more serious crimes will receive stiffer sentences. All of those sentenced and facing sentencing will be responsible for repaying the money that they essentially stole from the state. Any personnel working as care givers will also have their state certifications revoked and will no longer be allowed to practice once they have served their sentences.

Florida has vowed to arrest and punish all of those responsible for defrauding the state of its tax dollars. With every state in the union in a financial crunch, those dollars are needed now more than ever. Florida has made press statements recently that it has recovered over $125 million in fraudulent Medicare claims in the last year, and is making promises to recover as much as it possibly can in the next.

Hollywood, Miramar and Sunrise-blogger

http://evanturk-springhillcaregroup.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/hollywood-miramar-and-sunrise.html

HHS Secretary and Attorney General host seventh Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit in Chicago (April 4, 2012)--At a Chicago summit highlighting a new high-tech war against health care fraud, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder today discussed how the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration’s Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) are helping fight Medicare fraud.  The Chicago summit is the seventh regional health care fraud prevention summit hosted by the Department of Justice and HHS.

The regional summits bring together a wide array of public and private partners, and are part of the HEAT partnership between HHS and the Department of Justice to prevent and combat health care fraud.  The Obama administration’s HEAT efforts have resulted in record-breaking health care fraud recoveries.  In fiscal year 2011, for the second year in a row, the departments’ anti-fraud activities resulted in more than $4 billion in recoveries, an all-time high.

“We have a simple message to criminals thinking about committing Medicare fraud: don’t even try,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Thanks to health reform and our administration’s work, we have new tools and resources to catch criminals and stop Medicare fraud before it happens.”

“This Administration continues to move aggressively in protecting patients and consumers and bringing health care fraud criminals to justice,” said Attorney General Holder.  “Through HEAT, we have achieved unprecedented, record-breaking successes in combating health care fraud and as a result of the Affordable Care Act, we have additional critical resources, tools and authorities to continue this great success.”

New tools provided by the Affordable Care Act are strengthening the Obama administration’s efforts to fight health care fraud.  As a result of Affordable Care Act provisions:

• Criminals face tougher sentences for health care fraud, 20-50 percent longer for crimes that involve more than $1 million in losses;
• Contractors that police Medicare for waste, fraud, and abuse will expand their work to Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D programs;
• Government entities, including states, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and law enforcement partners at the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and DOJ, have greater abilities to work together and share information so that CMS can prevent money from going to bad actors by using its authority to suspend payments to providers and suppliers engaged in suspected fraudulent activity.

Increased collaboration has yielded significant results through the HEAT partnership.  Since the creation of HEAT in 2009, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations have expanded from two to nine locations throughout the United States, including Chicago.  Strike Force operations expanded to Chicago in February 2011 and since that time, charges have been filed against more than 35 defendants in the Northern District of Illinois for offenses related to health care fraud.  Overall, in fiscal year 2011, strike force operations in nine locations charged a total of more than 320 defendants for allegedly billing more than $1 billion in false claims.

In February, as a result of HEAT and strike force actions, a Dallas-area physician and the office manager of his medical practice, along with five owners of home health agencies, were arrested on charges related to their alleged participation in a nearly $375 million health care scheme involving fraudulent claims for home health services.  In conjunction with this action, CMS imposed payment suspensions against 78 home health agencies in the Dallas area.

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud | Radio Netherlands Worldwide: South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.
Police said the...

Thousands Visit USS Iowa Museum on Opening Day

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Thousands-Visit-USS-Iowa-Museum-on-Opening-Day-161710545.html

LOS ANGELES, Iowa — The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War.

On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country’s newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America’s enemies got a new role: photo op.

More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa’s gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns.

“I want them to be part of history,” said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels.

Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum’s first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project.

The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles’ harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum.

“It’s unheard of. It usually takes about three years,” said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center.

Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s.

Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel’s upper decks and through the captain’s quarters where Roosevelt once stayed.

Kent said additional renovations are ongoing, and by 2015, there will be five different tours and about 95 percent of the ship will be open to the public.

Museum organizers have previously said they anticipated 450,000 visitors annually, but as he stood at the top of the gangplank Saturday, Kent said the goal was 200,000.

“That’s what we need to break even,” he said.

The crowd that began forming at 6 a.m. was festive, with many dressed in red, white and blue. Within minutes of the 9 a.m. ribbon cutting, the deck had already seen its first marriage proposal. Leticia Singleterry of Downey, Calif., gave her longtime boyfriend, Alex Zuniga, a ring on the deck. He proposed to her last year on the beach in Venice, Calif., and she said she had been searching for the perfect spot to return the favor.

“I thought it was a great place for a male to get engaged. It doesn’t get any more tough than a battleship,” Singleterry said.

Many visitors had a military connection, and some had served on the Iowa.

“The last time I was here I was 17,” said M. Conway Morris of Moreno Valley, Calif., who was a midshipman on the Iowa in 1947.

Morris, 83, a retired attorney, came with some of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — more than 20 relatives in all — to see the ship. He recalled the celebration when the ship crossed the equator on a cruise through the Panama Canal, and the drudgery of swabbing decks and working in the ship’s boiler rooms.

“You’ve never been so hot,” he said.

More than 1,000 people applied to be museum volunteers, Kent said, and some who chose to work on opening day said they were excited to be part of preserving history.

“There are no more battleships like this and there probably never will be,” said Jim Holly, a Navy veteran and retired publishing executive from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. “It’s an era that’s passed.”

As the day grew on and more people streamed onto the Iowa, visitors got a taste of some of the more unpleasant parts of military life — close quarters, boredom and physical discomfort. The narrow walkways became clogged, leaving the tour at a standstill, and the steep stairs between decks proved challenging for some elderly visitors who had to be escorted to an exit.

“It wasn’t handicapped-accessible, but we didn’t expect it to be,” said Heidi Adler Palmer of Torrance, Calif. Her 90-year-old father, Fred Adler, made it through without trouble and said he was bowled over by the design of the vessel.

“The engineering is a nightmare to me. I don’t know how they did it,” said Adler, a retired chef from Redondo Beach, Calif. “I was very impressed.”

Thousands Visit USS Iowa Museum on Opening Day (Tvinx :: News)

Thousands Visit USS Iowa Museum on Opening Day (Tvinx :: News)

LOS ANGELES, Iowa — The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War.

On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country’s newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America’s enemies got a new role: photo op.

More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa’s gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns.

“I want them to be part of history,” said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels.

Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum’s first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project.

The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles’ harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum.

“It’s unheard of. It usually takes about three years,” said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center.

Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s.

Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel’s upper decks and through the captain’s quarters where Roosevelt once stayed.

Kent said additional renovations are ongoing, and by 2015, there will be five different tours and about 95 percent of the ship will be open to the public.

Museum organizers have previously said they anticipated 450,000 visitors annually, but as he stood at the top of the gangplank Saturday, Kent said the goal was 200,000.

“That’s what we need to break even,” he said.

The crowd that began forming at 6 a.m. was festive, with many dressed in red, white and blue. Within minutes of the 9 a.m. ribbon cutting, the deck had already seen its first marriage proposal. Leticia Singleterry of Downey, Calif., gave her longtime boyfriend, Alex Zuniga, a ring on the deck. He proposed to her last year on the beach in Venice, Calif., and she said she had been searching for the perfect spot to return the favor.

“I thought it was a great place for a male to get engaged. It doesn’t get any more tough than a battleship,” Singleterry said.

Many visitors had a military connection, and some had served on the Iowa.

“The last time I was here I was 17,” said M. Conway Morris of Moreno Valley, Calif., who was a midshipman on the Iowa in 1947.

Morris, 83, a retired attorney, came with some of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — more than 20 relatives in all — to see the ship. He recalled the celebration when the ship crossed the equator on a cruise through the Panama Canal, and the drudgery of swabbing decks and working in the ship’s boiler rooms.

“You’ve never been so hot,” he said.

More than 1,000 people applied to be museum volunteers, Kent said, and some who chose to work on opening day said they were excited to be part of preserving history.

“There are no more battleships like this and there probably never will be,” said Jim Holly, a Navy veteran and retired publishing executive from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. “It’s an era that’s passed.”

As the day grew on and more people streamed onto the Iowa, visitors got a taste of some of the more unpleasant parts of military life — close quarters, boredom and physical discomfort. The narrow walkways became clogged, leaving the tour at a standstill, and the steep stairs between decks proved challenging for some elderly visitors who had to be escorted to an exit.

“It wasn’t handicapped-accessible, but we didn’t expect it to be,” said Heidi Adler Palmer of Torrance, Calif. Her 90-year-old father, Fred Adler, made it through without trouble and said he was bowled over by the design of the vessel.

“The engineering is a nightmare to me. I don’t know how they did it,” said Adler, a retired chef from Redondo Beach, Calif. “I was very impressed.”

North Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/n-korean-refugees-investigated-insurance-fraud

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims.

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud (Tvinx :: News)

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud (Tvinx :: News)

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims.

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims.

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

Thousands Visit USS Iowa Museum on Opening Day - The-looser-it-s-me

Thousands Visit USS Iowa Museum on Opening Day - The-looser-it-s-me

LOS ANGELES, Iowa — The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War.

On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country’s newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America’s enemies got a new role: photo op.

More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa’s gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns.

“I want them to be part of history,” said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels.

Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum’s first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project.

The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles’ harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum.

“It’s unheard of. It usually takes about three years,” said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center.

Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s.

Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel’s upper decks and through the captain’s quarters where Roosevelt once stayed.

Kent said additional renovations are ongoing, and by 2015, there will be five different tours and about 95 percent of the ship will be open to the public.

Museum organizers have previously said they anticipated 450,000 visitors annually, but as he stood at the top of the gangplank Saturday, Kent said the goal was 200,000.

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud | Radio Netherlands Worldwide - The-looser-it-s-me

N. Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud | Radio Netherlands Worldwide - The-looser-it-s-me
South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims. 

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010. 

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said. 

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North. 

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims. 

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment. 

North Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/n-korean-refugees-investigated-insurance-fraud

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims.

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

N Korean refugees investigated for insurance fraud

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/n-korean-refugees-investigated-insurance-fraud

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims.

Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010.

While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said.

Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North.

Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims.

More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

Springhill Group Korea Insurer

April 3, 2012 - Springhill Group: Park Min Ho - I don’t know if this is related to Warren Buffett’s March visit to South Korea but General Re, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is planning to bid for South Korean insurer Tong Yang Life Insurance.

Tong Yang’s majority shareholder private-equity firm Vogo Fund is planning to sell its up to a 60.7-per cent stake in the insurer valued at about 937 billion won ($809 million).

In March, Warren Buffett visited South Korea to help open a new plant for Iscar Metalworking, which Berkshire owns 80%. At the same time, he was on the hunt for what he calls “Elephants”, or large well run companies that he could potentially acquire at a good price.

“We’re looking at a number of big businesses in Korea, the U.S., the U.K. We hope to find good companies wherever they may be. Basically, the bigger, the better,” he said at the time.

About Tong Yang Life Insurance

Tong Yang Life Insurance is part of the Tongyang Group which has 31 divisions across various industries such as utilities, manufacturing, and financial services to name a few. On its insurance website, Tongyang states:

TONGYANG Life Insurance was founded in 1989 to provide social security and specialized insurance services. Total assets are currently 12.8 trillion won, with premium income of 3.5 trillion won. (source)

News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans

April 3, 2012 - Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes - For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites.

From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups.

Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud.

More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages.

The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively.

Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% -- from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 -- that includes both identity theft and fraud complaints.

The following is the complete list of FTC's top 10 consumer complaints for the year 2011:

1. Identity theft

2. Debt collection

3. Lotteries, sweepstakes, prizes

4. Catalog sales, shop-at-home,

5. Lenders and Banks

6. Internet services

7. Auto-related complaints

8. Impostor scams

9. Mobile and telephone services

10. Credit protection/repair and advance-fee loans

source:  http://newscenter-springhillgrouphome.blogspot.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-top-10-fraud.html