Auto
Avoiding Staged Auto Accident Fraud
Staged auto accident fraud occurs when a criminal targets another driver on the road and uses manipulative methods to get them to crash their vehicle into the criminal’s vehicle. From there, the criminal uses the crash incident as a way to file false insurance claims.
This form of fraud can appear in a variety of sophisticated schemes. Here are some common methods of staged auto accident fraud:
- The Drive Down: After being motioned by the criminal, the victim merges into traffic. As they merge, the criminal speeds up to cause a collision, later denying any motion to merge.
- The Panic Stop: The criminal pulls in front of the victim, and a passenger watches for the victim to become distracted. Once distracted, the criminal slams on the brakes, causing the victim to rear-end the criminal.
- The Sideswipe: The criminal positions their vehicle in the outer turn lane and sideswipes the victim in the inner turn lane.
To prevent staged auto accident fraud, always avoid tailgating other vehicles, as tailgating makes it easier for criminals to target you on the road. If you do get in an accident, call the police immediately, and document the damages by taking pictures and videos on your phone. Be sure to get the names and contact information of everyone involved—even vehicle passengers.
For additional driving risk management guidance and auto insurance solutions, contact us today.
Life
Purchasing Medication Online
As purchasing medication online becomes easier, so does the ability for illegal operations to sell inappropriate or dangerous drugs. In fact, only 1,400 out of the over 35,000 online pharmacies are safe and legal. This means that 96 per cent of online pharmacies can’t be trusted.
While there are a number of legal, cheap and convenient options, purchasing drugs online may expose the patient to serious health risks. Among other risks, fake medication may be contaminated, poisoned, and contain wrong or no medicine.
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), and provincial and territorial pharmacy regulatory authorities have the primary jurisdiction of licensing pharmacies. Patients should take care to verify the legitimacy of an online pharmacy outlet. There are two ways to do so:
1. Verification with a Canadian Pharmacy Regulatory Authority
Patients can look up the Canadian business address on the online pharmacy’s website and gather information such as the pharmacy licence number, telephone number and email address. After the information is collected, patients can go to the website of the pharmacy regulatory authority for the province or territory where the online pharmacy has established its business to confirm that the pharmacy is licensed to operate.
2. Verification through the .Pharmacy Verified Websites Program
The .Pharmacy Verified Websites Program identifies safe and legitimate online pharmacies and online sources of pharmacy information alongside NAPRA’s United States counterpart, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
Before purchasing medication online, patients should also speak to their trusted health professional to determine whether a site is legal and safe.
Home
Green Living Tips for Your Home
“Going green” is not only good for the environment, but it is also beneficial to your health and wallet. Making small, eco-friendly lifestyle changes can help you live a cleaner life and make a serious impact. By following the three R’s—reduce, reuse and recycle—you can take simple steps to live a more environmentally sound life.
- Replace outdated appliances with eco-friendly models. Even just replacing incandescent light bulbs can save $30-80 over the lifetime of each bulb.
- Remember to unplug, and turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
- Save water. Take shorter showers, fix any leaks, use shorter wash cycles and only run tap water when you need it.
- Create less waste. Use reusable water bottles, opt for paperless billing and use your own tote bag rather than paper or plastic bags when shopping.
- Find alternatives to throwing items away. Determine whether an item can be recycled, composted, donated or sold to someone else before discarding it.
- Source food locally. Not only will you be supporting small businesses, but the shorter the distance your food travels, the less energy it consumes along the way.
- Insulate your home. Having proper insulation can make your heating system more efficient and your bill a lot lower.
- Lower your thermostat. Over the course of the year, you will reduce the amount of energy and money you spend on heating and cooling.
- Cut down on fuel. Whenever possible, carpool, walk, ride your bike or use public transportation instead of driving alone. Doing so will reduce your carbon footprint and save money on gas.
Creating a more eco-friendly home doesn’t mean you have to drastically change your lifestyle. By following the three R’s, you can reduce your carbon footprint, benefiting both yourself and the environment in a variety of ways.