A Quebec fraud ring has been uncovered by the province’s health insurance board working in tandem with the RCMP. According to preliminary reports an immigration consulting firm has been distributing fake Quebec health cards that are being used by illegal immigrants as proof of residency in the province. Revenue Quebec conducted raids this past week in Montreal and Laval at the locations of an immigration consulting company, but it is unclear whether there is a direct link between the raids and this case. Revenue Quebec suspects this firm of producing false statements for non-residents dating back to 2004.

Source: Montreal Gazette

A 23-year-old Collingwood resident has been fined $500 and sentenced to 12 months’ probation for using a forged medical prescription to illegally obtain the pain killer Tylenol 3.

The individual was arrested at a drug store after police received a phone call from the pharmacist reporting the dubious prescription. Apparently, suspicions were raised because the prescription was for nearly three times the usual dosage for this medication. Before calling police, the pharmacist had contacted the hospital where the prescription had been issued and it was confirmed that the original prescription had been fraudulently changed.

Prescription pain killers can be extremely addictive and often have a high street value.

Source: The Enterprise Bulletin

Health scams of all kinds have been on the radar of North American law enforcement in recent months.  Notable health scams have included false cures for AIDS, diabetes, and cancer with treatments such as malariotherapy, ozone treatment, Cancell and the 7-day Miracle Cleanse at the click of a mouse.

These scams prey on the most vulnerable consumers across Canada and the US and cost millions of dollars each year. In the worst case scenarios, it may also cost lives. Forbes magazine has recently polled a panel of consumer and health care experts on the most serious scams that have emerged over the past five years. You can check out the results on the Forbes.com website by clicking here.

If you would like to report a health scam or other type of consumer fraud, you are advised to contact the Competition Bureau of Canada.