How a country lawyer pulled off biggest Social Security fraud ever, and why it could happen again

  • 📰 CNBC
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 61 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 28%
  • Publisher: 72%

Law Law Headlines News

Law Law Latest News,Law Law Headlines

How a small town lawyer pulled off the biggest Social Security fraud ever, and why it could happen again.

The bigger the pool of taxpayer money, the bigger the magnet it is for fraudsters. And there is not much that is bigger than the $2.8 trillion Social Security trust fund. But even by those standards, the $550 million fraud pulled off by Kentucky attorney Eric C. Conn — the largest Social Security fraud in history — is mind-boggling.

Operating in Kentucky coal country — where thousands of jobs have been lost, and many people rely on disability payments to get by — Conn advertised himself as"Mr. Social Security." On billboards and in commercials that saturated the local airwaves, he promised he could win disability payments that people could not secure on their own.

"So my husband's just in complete panic, because, you know, everything's gone," she told"American Greed.""He said, 'I don't know what I'm gonna do. I just, what are we gonna do?'""He got up that morning, and it was like he was a totally different person," Emma Burchett recalled."He came through the house yelling and cussing at me and cussing at the kids. He was throwing things, and kicking things. He was just crazy.

But for hundreds of Conn's clients, the nightmare endures. Pillersdorf is part of a team of attorneys trying to help. He posts regular updates on his Facebook page. He said Social Security has stiffened penalties for disability fraud, particularly for what he called"facilitators," including doctors, lawyers, and third-party representatives.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

What is this, social security Chapo?

I think with all of these budget cuts there is less oversight.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 12. in LAW

Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Woke Caterer Puts Social Justice On The MenuFood has always played a big part in Ysanet Batista’s life. Soon after she was born, she went to live with her grandmother in the Dominican Republic. Batista remembers fondly how she would make succulent meals. colehaan Great... colehaan 💵🔑
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »

Boeing Selloff Is About Social Media, Not Legal BillsInvestors have wiped $40 billion off Boeing’s market value this month, even though the 737 MAX crisis is unlikely to add more than $5 billion to its costs. If your dept of education is cutting cost for valuable programs because of 1-8 faults...huge concerns... Poor corporate governance has a cost and it can be in the billions. KarlBrophy I....I don’t believe it!
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »