26 charged in VRS fraud

Why did my post gets removed? I dont think the moderators have the thick skin to handle this ongoing with QWERTY123. I smell favoritism
 
Feds Crack Down on Call Center Scheme

Feds Crack Down on Call Center Scheme
Feds Crack Down on Call Center Scheme - CBS Evening News - CBS News

In a widespread scheme one assistant Attorney General described as "outrageous and insidious," 26 people from seven companies in eight states were indicted Thursday for stealing more than $50 million from a government fund that provides video interpreters that translate sign language for the deaf and hearing impaired outside their world. The service, overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), allows more than 30 million hearing disabled Americans to communicate with those who can hear.

"It’s not going to be tolerated," Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer told CBS News. "They were running up the money, and taxpayers were paying for services that weren’t really occurring."

In a series of coast-to-coast raids, individuals from New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Maryland and California were arrested. They allegedly submitted thousands of "false and fraudulent" claims for Video Relay Service (VRS) calls that never involved hearing impaired people. Instead, the government charged, scammers placed millions of dollars of phony calls to pre-recorded radio programs, 800 numbers or podcasts - never translating anything but billing the FCC’s fund nearly $400 an hour for every hour the employee was on the phone.

"The fraud issue is something we’re going to have to deal with," prominent disabled rights attorney Jeff Rosen told CBS News."But we can’t allow that to diminish the access that deaf people have."

Begun back in 1993, in recent years VRS calls have skyrocketed - rising from about 100,000 minutes per month in 2004 to nearly 9 million minutes per month in 2009. Overall, the industry is expected to generate nearly $800 million in revenue this year alone.
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Mod note:

Two threads have been merged.
 
Amazing!! How certain people can be content with living off peoples tax money that is served for another purpose!

Royale. Were you shocked to find the people you know being charged? Did they suddenly seem rich?
 
I was shocked to find them being charged and l rather let the court system to determine whether they are guilty or innocent based on given evidences.
 
Royale said:
I was shocked to find them being charged and l rather let the court system to determine whether they are guilty or innocent based on given evidences.
Click to expand...

Will be difficult. Being charged with Federal Offenses. We will see how the court plays it out.
 
CBS news video
Feds Crack Down on Call Center Scheme - CBS Evening News - CBS News

Phone Bill Swindlers? - CBS News Video

Here's a copy of transcript in this video below:

Feds Crack Down on Call Center Scheme
26 People Arrested for Stealing More Than $50 Million from Government Fund that Provides Video Interpreters for the Deaf

Nov. 19, 2009

Reporter Armen Keteyian

TRANSCRIPT OF LIVE NEWS PROGRAM:

FROM CBS NEWS:

REPORTER (Voice over): For more than 36 million Americans, places like this video call center in Rochester, New York, are nothing less than a lifeline to the outside world. It's here where each month thousands of hearing-impaired people use sign language to communicate with translators over a computer link. Those translators then speak for their deaf clients to anyone and everyone in the hearing world. For the deaf it's a critical service. For others, it was a golden opportunity to commit fraud.

[Sirens]

REPORTER (cont): Today the government cracked down.

LANNY BREUER: It's not going to be tolerated. It's really--it's outrageous and insidious.

REPORTER (Voice over): Twenty-six people from 7 companies in eight states that provide the translation service were indicted. They were charged with stealing tens of millions of dollars by submiting thousands of false and fraudulent claims to rip off a government fund that virtually everyone with a phone contributes to.

LANNY BREUER: Taxpayers were paying for services that really weren't occuring.

REPORTER (Voice over): The government alleges the scammers never took calls from hearing-impaired people. Instead, they just placed calls to listen to radio programs or podcasts. They never translated anything. But they did bill the government nearly $400 for every hour the employee was on the phone.


REPORTER (cont): Prominent disabled rights attorney Jeff Rosen expressed disappointment at all the deception.

JEFF ROSEN (voice of interpreter): ...and the fraud issue is something we're going to have to deal with. We can't allow that to diminish the access that deaf people have.

REPORTER (Voice over): The service began back in 1993, but in recent years these type of calls have exploded, rising from about 100,000 minutes per month in 2004 to upwards of nine million [minutes] per month, generating an expected $800 million this year alone.

JEFF ROSEN: The whole deaf community is harmed by those actions. But we will take responsibility in fixing that.

REPORTER (Voice over): As the government makes clear, it's going to protect a service so liberating for the deaf from becoming a center of corruption. Armen Keteyian, CBS News, New York.
 
Viable SUCK! I was almost to get one but I changed my mind. My friends warned me about this. It's RIPPED off and pay the bills. That's stupid! I know who is guy went to school with me in High School. His name is Anthony Mowl. He is Vice President of Viable. That is SHAMEFUL!!!!! He is not my friend anyways.

I doubt it about Purple, Sorenson, and Pah will be next. Because it's no cost fee charge.
 
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