With the cost high to pursue perpetrators, both consumer and commercial, insurance firms will continue to face billions of dollars worth of fraud.

Premium fraud involves companies or individuals who withhold or falsify information to qualify for lower rates. For instance, a business may create a shell company and get a new tax ID number so that it appears new, without a claim history.

Insurance industry experts differ on whether premium fraud is being addressed adequately on the enforcement side, but they do agree that it is a problem.

Few cases of premium fraud have been tracked and prosecuted, industry observers say.

Generally speaking, premium fraud occurs when companies withhold or falsify information to avoid paying higher premiums for insurance.

In honor of Elder Abuse Month, local agencies are trying to break the silence about a growing trend.

Local volunteers spent the day visiting area businesses, passing out silver ribbons and cards which outline ways people can help eliminate elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

It’s just one way the Center for Prevention of Abuse and other senior agencies are trying to spread awareness of the problem.

After climbing miles of twisted and rugged roads up to a mountaintop located somewhere along the Kanawha-Fayette County line, John Casey steps from his Jeep Cherokee and walks to a nearby rocky ledge.He scours thousands of acres of untouched forests and just listens.

Instead of turning his ear to the harmonious sounds of rustling leaves and singing birds, Casey listens for manmade contraptions such as chainsaws or loud pick-up trucks in the distance.

Like a body scan, employee screenings may reveal more than you expect and could cost you a job.

To protect themselves from litigation, regulators and the risk of high turnover, companies are stepping up their screening of job candidates - and, in some cases, current employees.

A recent survey by staffing firm Spherion found that 79 percent of companies said they conduct background checks on some or all job candidates, 50 percent perform drug tests and 33 percent said they perform credit checks.

KANKAKEE—The years of one’s life after reaching 60 are often referred to as the “golden years.” Unfortunately, for some seniors, those years are anything but golden as a result of elder abuse. While it may take on many forms, the U.S. Administration on Aging defines it as “any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.”

The state of Illinois addresses elder abuse in regard to the mistreatment of adults over 60 years old through its Elder Abuse and Neglect Program. Illinois reported that there were 3.91 reports of alleged abuse for every 1,000 adults over the age of 60 in the 2004 Survey of Adult Protective Services sponsored by the National Center on Elder Abuse.