As the BP (NYSE:BP) payouts from their $20 billion escrow compensation fund are about to launch, the growing danger of fraud is rearing its ugly head, as a number of 'fake fisherman' have been making claims, hurting those who really do qualify for funds.
Some fisherman and boat captains have been talking about a black market where their signatures or word is for sale to those wanting to prove they are fisherman, while having never fished a day in the lives commercially.
What could unfold as a tragedy of this fiasco is some of those who are receiving legitimate claims could fall in with the wrong people and be arrested themselves out of misguided loyalties, or just wanting to make more money.
The cost for BP could be in the millions already, and the escrow fund hasn't even began to pay out claims.
The recent push by real estate agents and brokers offers a lot of possibility of fraud as well, with who knows how much money potentially being thrown around under the table to provide proof of losses.
According to the BBC, citing Lt Col Jeff Mayne of the LDWF Law Enforcement Division, since the oil spill, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has sold 2,200 licenses. What do they think they're doing? Are some of them in on this? Who sells fishing licenses to people without incomes to an industry that has been shut down?
There could be no doubt some of these officials had to know what was going on, and it's criminal to allow them to enable others to steal.
The original parameters to receive money from BP was to have a fishing license. So with people coming in who had no source of income are buying up these licenses, who with a brain wouldn't know the reason they were doing it?
Are these government officials so clueless as to believe the 60 percent increase in license applications was to fish in waters the applicants weren't allowed to fish in? You get the point.
Thankfully people are starting to get arrested for partaking in the fraud and theft, and that's a good thing going forward when not only millions, but billions are on the line for those who legitimately suffered from the oil spill.
3 comments:
Thank you for the information and insight. I knew that it wouldn't take long for people to take advantage of this situation. The sad part is there are people out there with ligitimate claims. These fraudulant claims are going to make it more difficult for the ones who really deserve it.
Not only outright fraud, but what about oil from natural leakage into the Gulf? Or leaking wells owned by others? Or fish kills that have nothing to do with oil?
BP is gonna take the rap for everything that happens in the Gulf for years to come, whether its their fault or not...
Not difficult to sort out the genuine claims from the fraudulent ones - any fishing licence application after the spill should be studied with a fine tooth comb and a letter sent out threatening legal proceeding if a suspicious claim is detected and not withdrawn.
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