tdiu Being Investigated! Help!

[Sabrina]

Hi Everyone,

I have been a lurker on here for many years and all of the information here has help me so many times understand the VA system.

I am a 32yo female veteran. I was discharged in 2001 after being diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the right femoral head, and having a fibula graft surgery to help correct it and postpone a hip replacement.

When I got out, I had no idea what the VA even was. I went there and had my exam, didn't know what to expect or even what the benefits were. I got a rating back of 80%, which is not 90%. I also have individual unemployability, and have for a few years. All of this is due to serious chronic pain. Some days are worse than others...but it definitly inhibits me holding a job. Life and how I am feeling is so inconsistent, that working full time would be impossible. Due to the chronic pain...I have developed serious depression and anxiety issues. So that is the just of it without getting into serious detail.

Well, last year sometime...a friend opened up a fitness studio. I have a degree in health and wellness and she asked for my help, a meeting of the minds you could say. I taught her how to put together classes and went to some of the classes to help instruct...but limited in how much I participated. I only could help out for about a month, and then had to stop, due to the extra activity, seriously aggravating my condition.

Well, it is almost a year later, and my friend from the studio called me saying that an investigator was in asking questions about me! Asking if I have ever sold her my pain medication!!!!!! I am so embarrassed! It is something I have NEVER done! And continued to ask if I ever showed any pain, and why I was even there in the first place.

Today she called again, and I guess he went to see 2 of her clients. I have no idea what he asked them. They do know of me, but hopefully they filled him on that I was only there for a short time due to my condition.

Mind you, I was never paid. She is just a good friend and it was a way for me to stay sane and interact with adults, rather than hiding at home all the time. (it is in my medical records that my doctor would like me to engage in meaningful activity/volunteer ect outside the home, for sanity purposs).

Ok...so I know I have not done anything wrong, but I am still freaking out!!!! I have 3 small children, ages 1, 3, and 5 and am married. I stay home with the little ones of course and really keep to myself.

I am really not sure how to approach these accusations. I called the VA here in Maine, patient advocates and my rep, and in their offices they see no reports of investigation, but he definitely showed his badge, and I know he is from the government.

The fact that I am being followed and spyed on gives me the creeps!

Not to mention this is messing with me emotionally. I know that if i have done nothing wrong, then I shouldn't have to worry right, then why do I still feel so awful!

I feel I am a victim of something. I have a couple people that I know dont care for me....and have a weird feeling I may be a victim of slander, but who's to say.

Any advice?

Losing my mind a bit.

Warmly,

Sabrina

[deltaj]

Hi Everyone,

I have been a lurker on here for many years and all of the information here has help me so many times understand the VA system.

I am a 32yo female veteran. I was discharged in 2001 after being diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the right femoral head, and having a fibula graft surgery to help correct it and postpone a hip replacement.

When I got out, I had no idea what the VA even was. I went there and had my exam, didn't know what to expect or even what the benefits were. I got a rating back of 80%, which is not 90%. I also have individual unemployability, and have for a few years. All of this is due to serious chronic pain. Some days are worse than others...but it definitly inhibits me holding a job. Life and how I am feeling is so inconsistent, that working full time would be impossible. Due to the chronic pain...I have developed serious depression and anxiety issues. So that is the just of it without getting into serious detail.

Well, last year sometime...a friend opened up a fitness studio. I have a degree in health and wellness and she asked for my help, a meeting of the minds you could say. I taught her how to put together classes and went to some of the classes to help instruct...but limited in how much I participated. I only could help out for about a month, and then had to stop, due to the extra activity, seriously aggravating my condition.

Well, it is almost a year later, and my friend from the studio called me saying that an investigator was in asking questions about me! Asking if I have ever sold her my pain medication!!!!!! I am so embarrassed! It is something I have NEVER done! And continued to ask if I ever showed any pain, and why I was even there in the first place.

Today she called again, and I guess he went to see 2 of her clients. I have no idea what he asked them. They do know of me, but hopefully they filled him on that I was only there for a short time due to my condition.

Mind you, I was never paid. She is just a good friend and it was a way for me to stay sane and interact with adults, rather than hiding at home all the time. (it is in my medical records that my doctor would like me to engage in meaningful activity/volunteer ect outside the home, for sanity purposs).

Ok...so I know I have not done anything wrong, but I am still freaking out!!!! I have 3 small children, ages 1, 3, and 5 and am married. I stay home with the little ones of course and really keep to myself.

I am really not sure how to approach these accusations. I called the VA here in Maine, patient advocates and my rep, and in their offices they see no reports of investigation, but he definitely showed his badge, and I know he is from the government.

The fact that I am being followed and spyed on gives me the creeps!

Not to mention this is messing with me emotionally. I know that if i have done nothing wrong, then I shouldn't have to worry right, then why do I still feel so awful!

I feel I am a victim of something. I have a couple people that I know dont care for me....and have a weird feeling I may be a victim of slander, but who's to say.

Any advice?

Losing my mind a bit.

Warmly,

Sabrina

My first piece of advice would be to make a written request to V.A. for a copy of your C file. It might show if there was any pending V.A. investigation. V.A. is not supposed to consider evidence without notice to the veteran but sometimes they do. You might also want to make a similar written request to Social Security for copies of your Social Security records. My second piece of advice would be to become familar with 42 USC 1983 but to be careful discussing this law with V.A. or Social Security because if you start talking about how your civil rights were violated now they are going to think you have something to hide. There are attorneys in the phone book that take civil rights cases under 42 USC 1983 but retaining an attorney now is not beneficial because the agency invesitgating you may think you are hiding something and may choose to find some cause to sever your benefits.

[stillhere]

I will hold my thoughts until the OP comes back and answers some of the Q's other have posted.

Sounds to me to be a bad mystery story at best but who knows.

[Berta]

Anyone can buy an official looking badge.

"Today she called again, and I guess he went to see 2 of her clients. I have no idea what he asked them. They do know of me, but hopefully they filled him on that I was only there for a short time due to my condition."

Is there any way you can find out from these clients where this guy was from?

Since she gave out info about you to a 'stranger',then maybe she would give you contact info on these clients.

Then again.

Nothing here leads me to believe there is any real investigation going on at all.

If not-you are being targeted for some reason by someone.

As Hoppy said:

"If it were me, I would file a complaint with the local police department. That fact that you have witnesses to someone asking questions

about any type of your activities might be a form of stalking. I am not an expert on the stalking laws. However, run by your local

police and see what they say."

I had a similiar problem years ago.I went right to the NY State Police.

I really don't think the VA OIG operates like this at all.

http://www.va.gov/oig/

"Asking if I have ever sold her my pain medication!!!!!! "

Why would any real 'investigator' ask a question like that,that is so incriminating if the answer was 'yes'? DUH!

[brokensoldier244th]

He/She's right. I used to work for a security company and got catalogs from all over for equipment. As the 'director' of the site, all I had to do was fax my request on letterhead to order badges-legally, that covered the badge company and CYA. Its that easy. Most people don't know an official badge, anyway, so a prop badge off of Ebay or some such would also do. I wore a 'Bobby' Halloween costumed once from the college costume room once at a party and a few people thought I was legit and wanted to know about Picadilly. *shrug*

Good luck!

CAS

Anyone can buy an official looking badge.

"Today she called again, and I guess he went to see 2 of her clients. I have no idea what he asked them. They do know of me, but hopefully they filled him on that I was only there for a short time due to my condition."

Is there any way you can find out from these clients where this guy was from?

Since she gave out info about you to a 'stranger',then maybe she would give you contact info on these clients.

Then again.

Nothing here leads me to believe there is any real investigation going on at all.

If not-you are being targeted for some reason by someone.

As Hoppy said:

"If it were me, I would file a complaint with the local police department. That fact that you have witnesses to someone asking questions

about any type of your activities might be a form of stalking. I am not an expert on the stalking laws. However, run by your local

police and see what they say."

I had a similiar problem years ago.I went right to the NY State Police.

I really don't think the VA OIG operates like this at all.

http://www.va.gov/oig/

"Asking if I have ever sold her my pain medication!!!!!! "

Why would any real 'investigator' ask a question like that,that is so incriminating if the answer was 'yes'? DUH!

[hedgey]

Sabrina, I'm sorry you're going through this - I would be beyond terrified if I thought someone was following me, no matter what the reason!

[john999]

I was a postal employee. I know the postal inspectors used to investigate people claiming workers compensation. If you have a worker's compensation claim companies will often hire investigators to try and catch a claimant doing work they claim they cannot do. I don't think the VA has time or money to be running around with a "we don't need no stinking badges" officer. I have been on WC,SSD,disability insurance, VA and OPM. No one has ever investigated me except through very formal method of checking medical records or IRS/SSA match. This whole thing sounds fishy, very fishy. It could be a shake down type scam.