Health insurance investigators are considering social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as tools to conduct claims investigations, the Los Angles Times reports. The insurance industry says fraud costs the U.S. up to $80 billion annually, accounting for up to 10% of total yearly health care spending.
The article goes on to say that, Investigators who once followed people with cameras now sit behind desks "mining databases and searching Facebook," said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit that investigates suspect claims for insurance partners such as Allstate and State Farm. "They look out for things that don't add up," he said, "like someone who claimed they hurt their back too badly to work and then bragged on Facebook about running a marathon." So, when utilizing Social Media remember that is exactly what it is, SOCIAL MEDIA....and over 400 million people have access to your profile. If you have been injured or hurt please contact our Virginia personal injury lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation if you have been hurt or injured. Kalfus & Nachman serves clients in the Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Roanoke, andVirginia Beach, Virginia areas