Dear Editor and gentle reader,
These tidbits come from the Minnesota Star Tribune two weeks ago. “Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday the federal government will send warning letters to states across the country requiring them to show they are aggressively prosecuting Medicaid fraud.”
Then the article exposes possible hypocrisy. “February 2020: Trump commutes the sentence of Judith Negron, who was convicted in a $205 million Medicare fraud case. In May 2025, Trump commutes the sentence of Lawrence S. Duran, who pleaded guilty in the same case. December 2020: Trump commutes the sentence of Philip Esformes, who was convicted in a $1.3 billion Medicare/Medicaid fraud case. January 2021: Trump commutes the sentence of Salomon Melgen, who was serving a 17-year sentence for defrauding Medicare of $42 million.
October 2025: Trump nominates Benjamin Landa as ambassador to Hungary….
CLICK HERE to read the FULL Waste, fraud, and abuse – The Mountain-Ear article.
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.