More Dental Embezzlements
Insurance Checks Ended Up at the Receptionist’s Favorite Department Store
I’ve been amazed by some of the stories of embezzlements I’ve heard lately. This story comes from a Texas dentist whose receptionist was doing more than just opening mail. Do people who do this sort of thing really think they won’t get caught?
Dentist’s Insurance Checks Pay Receptionist’s Shopping Bills
“We had a receptionist who was taking some of the checks were sent to us from insurance companies (payable to our office). She was signing the back of the checks herself and using the money to pay her various debts — as if we weren’t going to see the canceled checks with her signature on the back paying her favorite department store bill! In Texas stealing mail is a federal crime… I wanted to throw her in jail, but my wife agreed to let her pay us back in installments.
“The worst part was that she apparently had done this at previous doctors’ offices, including one I knew. He told me later that they were investigating her on similar charges, but his attorney told him he could not discuss it with anyone while they were building a case against her. Thanks a lot for the heads up when we called for a reference!”
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April 26th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I’m confused. How can you see cancelled insuranced checks? These go back to the insurance company. Only at the end of the year is there a tax total for the IRS, nothing itemized, especially with patient totals on them. This would be great if they would do this but I haven’t seen one that does.
May 21st, 2007 at 7:43 am
The only way (in Canada) is to have the dentist sign the necessarty consent forms and request copies of the cancelled checks from the InsCo.
We routinely do this in our forensic investiations to determine the clearance status of checks.
With increasing frequency and quantum, employees steal the insurance cheques for thier own consumption.
If your InsCo can direct deposit to you account, sign up and let them do so.
Regards,
Bill Hiltz
http://www.prosperident.com
June 9th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
poetic justice…. if a dentist won’t tell on another dentist that bad work was done to a patient…. why on earth should he tell another dentist that his help was stealing from him….especially since his lawyer said not to tell?