4 foreigners, 71 others arrested for healthcare fraud

MANILA, Philippines – Police Anti-Cybercrime Group has arrested 73 individuals, including three American and an Indian national, for allegedly victimizing diabetic patients by offering fake medical health cards and insurance.

Senior Superintendent Gilbert Sosa, Philippine National Police ACG director, in a belated report received by Camp Crame Thursday, said the 73 were employees and owners of the Pantheon Concepts HLK along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

PNP-ACG personnel raided call center at 11:45 p.m. Monday and arrested for violating the Access Devices Act of 1998 were Herber Kimble, Sergio Cevile, Wasil Ahmed, and Sham Negi, among others.

Sosa said former employees tipped off police that the BPO firm was involved in health card fraud.

They report claimed that the telemarketers would call prospective clients and offer glucose meters, medicines and other medical supplies, claiming these came from either a diabetes association or from Medicare.

If the victims, who are based in the US, agree to the offer, the call center agents will get their Medicare card number and other financial information.

The information then will be used to access the accounts of the victims and the amount of the supplies would be deducted from their Medicare Insurance and their Medicare Summary Notice.

It added that the patients would not receive the supposed free diabetes supplies.

Sosa said the arrested owners and employees were currently under the custody of PNP-ACG pending the resolution of the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office.

The US Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services issued a consumer alert to persons with diabetes against telemarketing companies using health card verification.

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