Fraud involving Pension Of 91-year-old

Eula Hicks whose pension was mysteriously cashed by someone else

THE NATIONAL INSURANCE SCHEME (NIS) IS INVESTIGATING LIKELY FRAUD
involving monthly payment to 91-year-old Eula Hicks of Linden.
The nonagenarian went to uplift her pension from the Mackenzie Office last week and was left
speechless when told her voucher was already cashed.
Hicks, who lives alone, believes it was an ‘inside job’ since the page for this month’s payment
also mysteriously disappeared from her book which is tightly secured by her.
The authorities in Linden are hard-pressed to give the 92-year-old a convincing explanation.
“Somebody already collected that money, so you will have to check back another month as the
money was cashed and there is nothing that we can do about that,” was the brusque response
from a public servant to the dumbfounded senior citizen queries.
Recalling the ordeal, Hicks related to www.aroundtheregions.com she pressed the NIS employee
to find a resolution, but without success
“I asked her what will happen as I never got my money and that something has to be wrong
because it wasn’t me who picked up the money. I said I need some (better) explanation as to
what took place, but all they told me is that there is nothing that can be done about it, and they
(NIS Linden) will not know who did it.”
It was the first time in decades of uplifting her monthly pension in the bauxite-mining town that
Hicks recalled being ripped off.

She wondered why alarm bells didn’t go off among NIS employees when someone other than
herself showed up to cash her pension voucher. On some occasions, a daughter is authorised to
conduct the transaction, Hicks explained.
She reasoned that, “they could have asked whoever it was questions, because you need an ID to
cash the voucher and for someone to do this is not only dishonest but very wicked.”
“I am an old woman who needs my money. There must be some action taken in this matter as
what will happen if I turn up again and somebody else does this? It cannot go unnoticed,” the
heartbroken senior citizen complained.
www.aroundtheregions.com reached out to NIS Branch Manager, Ms. Gweneth Bourne, who
was unaware of, then later disconsolate, when she received details about the 91-year-old’s
plight.
Bourne said the NIS office in Georgetown is handling the matter and a resolution is expected by
Friday.
“At the moment the matter is engaging the attention of our office in Georgetown, and we here
are awaiting a copy of the payment voucher to ascertain who would have cashed it. When we
receive that we will know what took place and the likely action/s to be taken,” Bourne promised.