The phrase “crime doesn’t pay” would probably more accurately be stated as “crime can pay quite well, at least until you get caught.” Just ask the operators of an Arizona-based health care telemarketing scam, who now have to surrender all their expensive toys to the federal government.

The Federal Trade Commission says it has put an end to the scam allegedly run by Health Care One LLC and its affiliates Americans4Healthcare Inc., Elite Business Solutions, Inc., and Mile High Enterprise Inc.

According to the FTC, these companies deceptively marketed medical discount plans as government-endorsed health insurance and falsely claimed they would deliver substantial savings on customers’ healthcare costs.

Customers were misled into believing the programs were widely accepted by healthcare providers and promised “100% satisfaction” and a money-back guarantee in their TV and radio ads.

From the FTC statement:

[T]he companies did not inform consumers that their program was not health insurance until after consumers signed up for the program and paid hundreds of dollars in fees. Consumers who subsequently tried to cancel their enrollment found that the Health Care One companies made it difficult or impossible to obtain refunds.

Now that they’ve been caught and settled with the FTC, the defendants need to surrender their assets, which an Aston Martin, a Maserati, a yacht, and two motorcycles.

While the FTC is really just looking for the proceeds from the sale of these items, are having a chuckle imagining FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz enjoying a brief James Bond joyride in the Aston Martin, or going all Evel Knievel in the FTC parking lot.

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