Cautions outside agent charges one-third of claims recovery for a process consumer can do easily themselves for free

SEATTLE — The Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO) will soon launch a website for consumers to file claims for their share of the $63 million LCD recovery. In the meantime, the AGO cautions consumers that a third-party agent has set up a website to file claims on behalf of consumers, but will charge one-third of the recovery money to do so. When the AGO claims website goes live, consumers can file their own claims for free.

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s agency-request bills to combat Medicaid provider fraud by reauthorizing the state’s highly effective Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act (FCA) today unanimously passed the Senate, and passed the House 88 to 8.

Unscrupulous medical providers seek to profit from the state’s Medicaid program — performing unneeded tests, charging for services not provided, and otherwise defrauding and abusing the Medicaid system. 

5,000 Washington consumers may be affected
 

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced Moneygram Payment Systems, Inc. will pay $13 million to resolve a multi-state investigation into how Moneygram’s wire transfer service was used in schemes to defraud consumers.

The investigation focused on whether Moneygram falsely represented to consumers that it has a robust fraud prevention program when in fact it did not have adequate internal fraud prevention controls.

SEATTLE — A Richland florist who was ordered to stop discriminating against gay and lesbian customers seeking flowers for their weddings has filed her response brief before the Washington State Supreme Court.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson released the following statement regarding this latest brief:

OLYMPIA — Service Employees International Union Local 925 (SEIU 925) will pay the state $31,715 after an Attorney General’s Office lawsuit over its improper reporting of in-kind and cash campaign contributions.  The judgment includes costs, fees and civil penalties.

Sales suppression software hides cash transactions, allows users to steal sales tax

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed charges today against a Bellevue restaurant owner accused of using “sales suppression software” to hide cash transactions, pocketing nearly $395,000 in sales tax collected from her patrons.

At least 1,300 Washington borrowers eligible to receive up to $1,400 in cash payments

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced Washington homeowners will recover $1 million, as part of a $470 million agreement secured for homeowners nationwide through a state-federal legal action against mortgage lender and servicer HSBC.

OLYMPIA — The Attorney General’s Office today announced it has filed a complaint in Thurston County Superior Court alleging campaign finance violations by the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC).

Specifically, the Attorney General alleges the WSLC failed to timely and properly file reports of in-kind and cash contributions as required under the state’s campaign finance laws.

WSLC is the state federation of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), with about 400,000 Washington union members.

TACOMA — Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Sexually Violent Predator Unit will be in Tacoma next week opposing the conditional release of convicted sex offender Jerrod Stoudmire into the community.

Stoudmire, 51, has been convicted of two counts of second-degree rape of a child, one count of first-degree statutory rape, and three counts of indecent liberties against a child under age 14. He was found to be a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) in June 2013, and was civilly committed to the state’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

Senate hearing scheduled for Monday, Feb. 1

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s agency-request bill to raise the sale age of tobacco and vapor products to 21 today passed the House Health Care & Wellness Committee in a bipartisan 9-3 vote.

“This legislation will literally save lives,” said Ferguson.  “I thank legislators from both parties for standing with me to protect Washington youth from a life of addiction and tobacco-related health problems.  The momentum for this common-sense reform is building.”