FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH

 

FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
   
   March is Fraud Prevention Month and as such we must sit back and wonder what is a fraud.   I remember once in conversation with lawyer friends of mine.   Their definition had to fold.  One, you had to get caught.  The second was based on the understanding and how you defined  the term.
By dictionary definition, FRAUD: a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities.  wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
Well if this  stands true.   Coca Cola/Pepsi ads are they not fraudulent?
They claim to quench thirst when in reality they make you want more.
Are cell phone companies not committing a fraud by charging us rates for speeds that we need special conditions to achieve?
Or how about the TV service providers.  Claiming that they offer 1,000 channels but fail to tell you that half are repeat.   In reality you have to subscribe to the rest and you actually may get 50 free channels.
  Is that not a fraud?  I guess much like my lawyers friends had stated.  No one is complaining and the suppliers of these services are not being called out and or caught in the act of deception.  How about your gas or hydro companies.   They compete on the basis of basic rates, but fail to tell you of all the over charges.  Such as delivery charge, maintenance, administrative, convenience, safety and any that they dream up.   Is this not a fraudulent? I live a dream in a nightmare world.... a world full of misconceptions, misinformation and mass confusion.    Society is falling apart and we are becoming victims of our own misconceptions and understanding of society.  We are easily influenced and persuaded.   We can’t even define ‘FRAUD’ unless we tag along a criminal element or that act of which is forcibly accepted due to the fact that we truly do not understand the real intent of services and goods being presented to us.     I remember social scientist at the University always harping about the end of civilization coming to be due to three things.  1. War  2. Famine 3. Disease....  I would have never figured out that the 4th would be ignorance and just plain stupidity...  Is our nightmare world that far gone that we can only live in our dreams and justify reality in confusion?