Eight individuals were arrested and 15 charged in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $50 million by running sham hospice facilities across Southern California. Federal officials described the actions as brazen efforts to commit fraud, with many billed patients not being terminally ill.
"Fake reviews strike at the heart of consumer trust. With household budgets under pressure, people need to know they're getting genuine information not reviews or star-ratings that have been manipulated to push them towards the wrong choice."
The Marin County District Attorney's Office said it is looking into complaints from some of more than 100 investors in Pacific Private Money who say that since December they haven't been able to access money invested with the company. The company, which claimed to have funded over $2 billion in property loans over its nearly two-decade history, is now being run by a San Francisco restructuring firm, and the Novato office is closed.
The agreement will provide financial relief to many policyholders while ensuring continued coverage for State Farm policyholders while California's insurance market stabilizes. State Farm argued the emergency hike was necessary because catastrophic fire losses jeopardized its financial ratings. The company has reported that it paid out $6.2 billion in claims last year, largely from the wildfires, with most of the costs covered through reinsurance payments.
We're seeing more frequent, more severe extreme weather events and that inevitably affects claims and affects pricing it can't not. And this is happening all over the globe. More, after this week's most important reads.
Insurance is often one of those bills people think about only when premiums rise or a loss makes it necessary to review. Not updating a policy can cost you vastly more money than just paying a slightly higher premium, be that car insurance, home insurance or life insurance, to name a few. Rather than waiting to find out what coverage you have, brokers and other insurance experts offered some moves you should make as soon as possible.
Last month, I sat across from one of the brightest people I know as he explained how he'd lost nearly everything to a sophisticated scam. This wasn't some naive teenager or technophobe. This was my friend from university days, a retired executive who'd navigated corporate politics for decades and made shrewd investment decisions his whole life. Watching him piece together how it happened was like watching someone solve a puzzle in reverse.
She said people "just couldn't believe" cars were being broken into just for the shelves. The Met Police opened an investigation following a number of parcel shelves being stolen from cars in Hampstead and Highgate, the force said. Sam Phipps Phipps told BBC Radio London her car was targeted despite only having her gym bag, out of sight, in the boot.
Constantin Iosca moved here from Romania in 1997 for a 'better life', but will be spending nearly three years in jail after bringing a fraudulent personal injury claim
Industry NewsOn January 26, a bipartisan coalition of Oregon lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1593, also known as the Oregon Recreation Commerce and Affordability Act of 2026 (ORCA), for consideration in the upcoming legislative session, which begins on February 2. "Oregon is facing an affordability crisis in recreation and health and fitness," Senator Mark Meek (D-Oregon City) said in a press release. "Prices are rising, businesses are closing, insurers are leaving-and Oregon
A couple initially expecting to pay less than 50 for a locksmith became victims of a "bait-and-switch scam" which ended up costing them more than 5,000, an investigation has found. The scam involves baiting a customer with an initial cheap quote before adding on hidden charges and carrying out unnecessary work that leads to spiralling costs. As part of the BBC's investigation, the company involved - 24/7 Locksmiths UK - was secretly filmed trying to charge up to 10 times the original quote for the job.
HSE data repeatedly show the same patterns. Slips and trips on level ground, manual handling strains, falls from height, and road traffic collisions account for most non-fatal injuries. Beacon Law Solicitors have highlighted that in the 2022-23 reporting year, slips and trips made up roughly a third of employer-reported injuries, with handling and lifting close behind. Those are not anecdotes - they reflect the systems that failed in the real world.
