Va. fortune-telling family charged with fraud
A Virginia family considered pioneers in their region's fortune-telling industry is weathering federal insurance fraud charges against several of its members.
A U.S. District Court indictment alleges six people including Mitchell Marks, his girlfriend, his two sons and brother Steven Marks conspired to steal $16 million from life insurance companies.
Federal prosecutors say the scam involved policies obtained after healthy impostors stood in for older, sick family members and friends during the necessary medical exams.
Marks family members have operated as fortune-tellers in southeastern Virginia for decades. Some of the defendants allege that while they may be able to read palms and tarot cards, they're illiterate when it comes to insurance policies.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
By
Washington Post editors
| August 16, 2010; 8:50 AM ET
Categories:
Crime and Public Safety, Virginia
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Posted by: Mike40 | August 16, 2010 9:35 AM | Report abuse
They should have seen this coming.
Posted by: 123cartoon | August 16, 2010 10:15 AM | Report abuse
Haha....123cartoon.....classic.
Posted by: MarkT27 | August 16, 2010 11:21 AM | Report abuse
Its amazing in this age an time cancer patients in this country get their medical claims denied or rejected but palm reader's and frotune teller can grease the system and benefit for ages through phony claims till one day a not so happy client blows whistle on them.
Posted by: Jim110 | August 16, 2010 3:37 PM | Report abuse
Thank you, 123cartoon. You beat me to it.
(I was going to say "How could they not have seen this coming? Says something about their fortune-telling prowess, dunnit?")
Posted by: nan_lynn | August 16, 2010 5:25 PM | Report abuse
123cartoon
You are quick.
Posted by: ged0386 | August 16, 2010 6:06 PM | Report abuse
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When your "family business" is a scam, who can be surprised about throwing some insurance fraud in on top?