#fraud
#fraud

I was given my wife's ashes a month before she was cremated'

Funeral director under investigation for delays in cremation process and potential fraud. [ more ]

moreinvestigation

www.newsshopper.co.uk

1 hour ago

Heartless scammers and conmen to watch out for in south London

Some individuals may exploit vulnerable individuals to feed their addictions, as seen in cases of stealing savings and administering fake vaccines to the elderly. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

21 hours ago

The makings of mastermind behind human butchery' eunuch maker enterprise

The article highlights the story of Marius Gustavson, whose descent into extreme body modifications and illegal activities led to a life imprisonment sentence. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Veteran Collected Benefits After Lying About Purple Heart, U.S. Says

Fraudulently claiming to be a Purple Heart recipient led to multiple charges for Sharon Toney-Finch. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Silicon Valley real estate

New York City

Ex-N.Y.U. Official Admits She Stole Public Money to Add Pool at Her Home

Former NYU administrator pleads guilty to $3.5 million fraud, diverting public money for personal use.

$663,209 restitution and 5 years' probation part of plea agreement. [ more ]

moreNew York City

arrest

The Mercury News

2 weeks ago

San Jose woman arrested on suspicion of stealing $400,000 from school organization

Former president of association supporting school enrichment programs arrested for writing unauthorized checks to self. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

He had a badge, his car had emergency lights, he pulled people over - but he wasn't a cop, authorities say

A 70-year-old man impersonating a peace officer was arrested in Riverside County after pulling over drivers.

The man was found with a fake badge and emergency lights in his car. [ more ]

www.newsshopper.co.uk

Male arrested after drugs, cash and fraud documents found in south east London

Police arrested a male in SE London for drugs, cash, and fraudulent documents.

The male was stopped after behaving suspiciously and evasively towards officers. [ more ]

morearrest

Miami Herald

2 weeks ago

A 'contractor' took $6,000 for work in Miami-Dade, then disappeared, cops say

A man posed as a contractor, took $6,000, and used victim's credit card for UberEats; arrested with various charges. [ more ]

Miami Herald

3 weeks ago

A Miami Home Depot security 'specialist' made $260K in tool thefts possible, cops say

An asset protection specialist at Home Depot, along with others, was arrested for orchestrating thefts worth over $260,000 from the store. [ more ]

Miami Herald

The feds want to hear from Miami victims of a potential $25 million Ponzi scheme

Federal prosecutors seek more investors who might have been involved with Jawahar's Ponzi scheme.

Jawahar faces wire fraud and investor fraud charges, accused of extravagant spending with investors' funds. [ more ]

abovethelaw.com

3 weeks ago

This HGTV Star Probably Won't Have Too Many Decor Options In Jail

HGTV star Charles Todd Hill sentenced to 4 years in jail and $10 million restitution for fraud. [ more ]

www.npr.org

What to know as Chad Daybell jury selection begins in 'zombie' murder trial in Idaho

Jury selection underway in Chad Daybell trial for murder charges.

Chad Daybell faces murder, conspiracy, and fraud charges with outlandish claims of possession and zombies. [ more ]

Above the Law

Trump Club Throws Alina Habba Under The Bus

Alina Habba was specifically excluded from the release agreement, allowing Bianco to potentially sue her for fraud.

Bianco initially settled with the club but later challenged the agreement with the help of a new lawyer, resulting in a revised settlement. [ more ]

embezzlement

therealdeal.com

4 weeks ago

LA real estate

HOA at Ocean Towers in Santa Monica Stole $5.7M, State Says

A decade-long saga of fraud and manipulation unfolded at the Ocean Towers condo complex in Santa Monica, involving former HOA figures. [ more ]

therealdeal.com

LA real estate

Shangri-La accuses former CFO of embezzling $40M

Shangri-La Industries is suing former CFO Cody Holmes for allegedly embezzling millions.

The lawsuit accuses Holmes and his girlfriend of living luxuriously with embezzled funds. [ more ]

Mission Local

Mission District

Former SF HR manager charged with looting $627K in workers' comp money

Stanley John Ellicott faces 62 felony charges for embezzling $627,000 from the Workers' Compensation bureau.

Ellicott allegedly established a fake company to steal from the HR department he was supposed to oversee. [ more ]

www.standard.co.uk

Cunning' thief who stole 870,000 from Kensington's five-star Royal Garden Hotel jailed

Zaheer Abbas stole 870,000 through manipulation

Abbas used impersonation to conduct fraud [ more ]

www.standard.co.uk

Heartless' London conman who fleeced 80k from victims in telephone banking scam is jailed

Edward Trustworth, a fraudster, has been jailed for stealing £80,000 from bank customers through a telephone banking scam.

Trustworth acquired victims' personal details and impersonated them on the phone to take over their accounts. [ more ]

Mail Online

I cloned myself using AI and the results were terrifying

An AI-clone of Joe Biden's voice was used in a fraudulent call to New Hampshire residents, urging them to skip the primary election.

The app Eleven Labs was used to replicate Biden's voice, fooling people into thinking the message was truly from him. [ more ]

moreimpersonation

scams

www.independent.co.uk

Scammer star of podcast claimed to be a psychic, witch and Irish heiress, victims say

Marianne Smyth posed as an Irish heiress and psychic to scam victims in America, facing extradition for fraud in Northern Ireland.

Reminiscent of Anna Sorokin, Smyth's scams involve impersonation, manipulation, and stealing money from victims through grand tales. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

Labour MP gives out bank details after scammer pretended she missed parcel

Fraud is prevalent, affecting millions in the UK. Even public figures like MPs can fall victim to scams. [ more ]

english.elpais.com

Cryptocurrency

The other Bitcoin rally: How scams are cashing in on the cryptocurrency fever

Bitcoin has seen a 217% increase, outperforming other investments. Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise, with losses reaching $3.94 billion in 2023. [ more ]

time.com

Business

New Study Estimates as Much as $75 Billion in Global Victims' Losses to Pig-Butchering Scam

Scammers stole over $75 billion through pig-butchering scam

Crypto addresses of over 4,000 victims tracked to Southeast Asia scammers [ more ]

morescams

www.newsshopper.co.uk

Four men charged with theft and fraud offences in south London

Four men charged with theft and fraud offenses following police raids.

Raids conducted and suspects charged with conspiracy to receive stolen goods and commit fraud. [ more ]

www.standard.co.uk

Scammer sentenced after London victim pays 22,000 for shoddy roofing

Darren Conroy sentenced to 16 months in jail for scamming north London resident out of 22,000 for fake roofing work

The scam involved creating a fake roofing company, demanding large deposits, and sub-contracting out substandard work. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

Hewlett-Packard lost $4bn over Autonomy acquisition, London court told

HP lost over $4 billion in its acquisition of Autonomy due to fraudulent practices by Autonomy co-founder Mike Lynch.

HP is seeking to recoup losses by suing Lynch and Autonomy's former CFO, Sushovan Hussain. [ more ]

Miami Herald

Miami Beach, Miami and Orlando men defrauded Home Depots of $100,000, investigators say

Thieves defrauded Home Depot stores using self-checkout switcheroos.

The trio operated in multiple Florida counties over an extended period. [ more ]

Miami Herald

Lubby Navarro, ex-School Board member accused of fraud and theft, makes court appearance

Former Miami-Dade School Board member Lubby Navarro appeared in court and her attorney argued she should remain out of jail through her trial date.

Lead state prosecutor Annette Rasco asked for more time to interview the people who issued Navarro's bond, and the judge agreed to postpone a decision until Feb. 9. [ more ]

embezzlement

Sacramento Bee

California

University administrator steals $1.5M in tuition for gambling, 'lavish' trips, feds say

Sandra Eileen Le diverted $1.5 million in tuition from UCSF students to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Le manipulated students by building close relationships to execute the scheme. [ more ]

www.esquire.com

Education

A Charter School In New Hampshire Is Closing After Allegations of Embezzlement and Fraud

A charter school in New Hampshire is closing down less than two years after opening due to allegations of embezzlement and fraud by former school officials.

The closure highlights the ongoing issues and controversies surrounding charter schools, which have been criticized for their lack of oversight and accountability. [ more ]

moreembezzlement

scams

WIRED

How to Not Get Scammed Out of $50,000

Experts emphasize vulnerability to social engineering by scammers.

High alert, avoid isolation, and report suspicious activity to thwart scammers. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

Combating elder abuse and scams against seniors

Elder abuse is on the rise, including physical, psychological, and financial exploitation.

Fraud against older adults resulted in $3.1 billion in losses in 2022, an 82.35% increase from the previous year. [ more ]

www.hamhigh.co.uk

Man, 32, arrested over 'Monaco millionaire' dating scam that turned nasty

A man has been arrested for a dating scam in which he targeted women by claiming to be a millionaire from Monaco.

The victims were contacted on social media and promised large sums of money in return for a date or other activities.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of fraud, non-fatal strangulation, threats to disclose intimate images, and obtaining services dishonestly. [ more ]

Sun Sentinel

Bogus insurance sold by unlicensed agent got car buyers in trouble, state agency says

A Miami man has been arrested for selling bogus auto insurance, leaving customers without valid insurance and causing some to have their driver licenses suspended.

William Edwin Diehl Jr. faces several felony charges and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Diehl pocketed over $29,000 from the scam and directed customers to pay their premiums using the Zelle or Cash direct payment apps. [ more ]

Pats Pulpit

New England Patriots

Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte arrested on illegal gambling charges

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has been arrested in Louisiana on charges for illegal sports gaming.

Boutte allegedly created a fraudulent online gaming account and placed over 8,900 wagers, including at least six on LSU games while he was still playing for the team. [ more ]

New York Post

Widower bilks $781K in pension payments sent to long-dead teacher wife: probe

A widower in Queens received over $781,000 in pension payments meant for his deceased wife over an 18-year period before being caught.

The Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) has been unable to recover the stolen funds, making it one of the most egregious cases of undeserved payments. [ more ]

Databreaches

Privacy technologies

Millions at risk of fraud after massive health data hack in France

Data breach at a company managing third-party payments for 84 top-up insurance providers puts millions at risk of fraud.

The exact number of people affected is still under investigation. [ more ]

moreinvestigation

New York Post

New York City

Anna Delvey: Home confinement life without social media 'more restrictive' than being behind bars

Fake heiress Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, is requesting a Manhattan federal judge to change the conditions of her house arrest, which bans her from leaving home and using social media.

Sorokin claims that the restrictions are overly punitive, infringe upon her freedom of speech and due process rights, and serve no purpose in mitigating any flight risk or threat to the community. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

New York City

Prominent New York Developer Arrested on Charges Tied to Vast Fraud Scheme

Former executive of HFZ Capital Group, Nir Meir, arrested in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.

Several other people and businesses, including construction firm Omnibuild, expected to be charged in the case. [ more ]

Dealbreaker

Nomura Could Be Better At Counterparty Risk Management

Credit Suisse and Nomura faced significant losses due to insufficient counterparty risk management

Nomura ignored warnings about the credibility of a loan linked to a CEO facing allegations of fraud [ more ]

The Atlantic

3 days ago

US Elections

The Cases Against Trump: A Guide

Keeping track of Donald Trump's legal cases requires attention due to 91 felony counts across state and federal courts, impacting his potential prison sentence and business empire.

A newsletter named The Decision offers updates on Trump's legal troubles, detailing key cases, gravity of charges, and potential outcomes. [ more ]

New York Post

3 days ago

Cars

US Tesla Autopilot probe focusing on securities, wire fraud after Elon Musk hyped self-driving tech

US prosecutors are investigating potential securities and wire fraud by Tesla for misleading consumers about Autopilot's self-driving capabilities. [ more ]

The Art Newspaper - International art news and events

4 days ago

Writing

'Shamefully duped': friend of convicted art fraudster Inigo Philbrick spills the beans in new memoir

The book 'All That Glitters' recounts the friendship between Orlando Whitfield and art dealer Inigo Philbrick, shedding light on Philbrick's fraudulent activities. [ more ]

time.com

Education

Biden Cancels $6B in Debt for Former Students of the Art Institutes

The Biden administration will cancel $6 billion in student loans for Art Institutes attendees due to fraud and deceit, erasing loans for 317,000 individuals. [ more ]

Entrepreneur

Education

Student Loan Debt Cleared for Former Art Institute Students | Entrepreneur

Former Art Institute students entitled to compensation due to fraud allegations. [ more ]

Sacramento Bee

California

Fake stamp scheme run by California woman cost US Postal Service $150 million, feds say

A California woman defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of $150 million through counterfeit stamps. [ more ]

Independent

JavaScript

Irish arm of Grant Thornton start mediation over alleged role in US investment firm fraud case

Irish office of Grant Thornton denies colluding in Florida fraud. [ more ]

TechCrunch

2 weeks ago

Startup companies

Watch: How Headspin's founder fraudsters almost get away with lying to investors | TechCrunch

The tech startup and venture capital boom has led to significant instances of fraud due to an influx of capital and lack of thorough diligence. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

Police probing Hull funeral directors cannot identify ashes in devastating' blow

DNA profiles of bodies degraded during cremation, making identification impossible.

Police unable to recover meaningful DNA profiles from human ashes, leaving families devastated. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

Ex-takeaway worker found with more than 2bn Bitcoin in biggest ever sting

Former takeaway worker convicted of money laundering linked to Bitcoin worth 2 billion.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are increasingly used by criminals for money laundering. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

Killers go shopping with man's money after murdering him in own home

Two individuals have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder and fraud of a man in his Bradford home.

The victim's family released a statement expressing their devastation over his death. [ more ]

New York Post

NYC real estate

FTX to unload disgraced Sam Bankman-Fried's $222M Bahamas real estate empire

Bankman-Fried's Bahamas real estate assets being sold off due to fraud.

FTX seizing control of $222 million worth of properties from Bankman-Fried. [ more ]

The Mercury News

Cryptocurrency

Timeline: The downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried and the colossal failure of FTX

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and $10 billion theft from customers/investors

FTX collapse led to plummeting cryptocurrency prices [ more ]

TechCrunch

Data science

SBF sentenced, Worldcoin hit with another ban order and big web3 pre-seed rounds are back | TechCrunch

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and money-laundering at FTX

Web3 network being built to end Big Tech's control of data [ more ]

www.aljazeera.com

Black Lives Matter

Former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison

Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for FTX cryptocurrency exchange fraud

FTX founder accused of stealing $8bn from customers

Judge rejects Bankman-Fried's claim that customers did not lose money [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Europe news

An Irish Heiress' Conned Him. He Started a Podcast to Track Her Down.

Marianne Smyth posed as a fake heiress to swindle money, facing extradition for fraud in the UK.

She has a history of deceiving people with elaborate schemes, leading to multiple convictions for theft. [ more ]

www.aljazeera.com

Europe news

French farmers unions call to end protests as PM unveils new measures

French farmers have called off roadblock protests after securing promises of government assistance.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced solutions to combat bans and fraud in the agriculture sector. [ more ]

www.france24.com

Europe news

Ukraine uncovers attempt to embezzle $40 million via bogus arms deal

Ukrainian defense officials and corporate leaders attempted to steal $40 million through a fraudulent arms procurement scheme.

The corruption allegations have been confirmed by Ukraine's defense ministry, and several officials have been implicated and detained. [ more ]

Mission Local

San Francisco

The strange and terrible saga of Harlan Kelly: Prison for ex-PUC boss

Public officials in San Francisco, including Harlan Kelly, have been convicted on federal corruption charges.

Kelly's sentences relate to fraud, bribery, and corruption within his role in public works and infrastructure oversight. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

Brooklyn

March 14, 2024 Court Decisions

Appellate Division affirmed dismissal of fraud lawsuit in Brooklyn property sale.

Court emphasized the importance of due diligence in real estate transactions to prevent fraud claims post-sale. [ more ]

BKReader

Brooklyn

Victims of Fraud Accused Bling Bishop Open up About Elaborate Scam, Extortion

Bishop Lamor Miller Whitehead found guilty of charges including lying to FBI and stealing from parishioners

Fraud victim Paula Anderson still out nearly $100,000 wired to the bishop. [ more ]

BKReader

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Woman Who Pocketed Covid-19 Funds Sentenced to Probation, Fines

Brooklyn woman sentenced to probation and fined for COVID-19 relief fraud schemes

The woman provided free hotel rooms to ineligible individuals, including herself [ more ]

ESPN.com

Ex-track coach gets 5 years in nude photo case

Former college coach sentenced to 5 years for scamming women into sending explicit photos.

Prosecutors called for a 7-year sentence for the coach, emphasizing the breach of trust. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

Bay Area man lost his wife, then got scammed. Now Facebook won't stop the hacker

Scam used deceased wife's photo for fake fundraiser on GoFundMe and hijacked Facebook account for donations. Facebook failed to remove the scam. [ more ]

www.cbc.ca

Thieves stole $1,000 in Optimum points from this woman. Here's how to safeguard your points | CBC Radio

Fraudsters target loyalty points with real cash value.

Growing issue with account compromise and theft in loyalty points programs. [ more ]

www.mercurynews.com

Who's behind these mysterious deliveries? Woodside man showered with products he didn't order

Unsolicited Amazon packages have been arriving at a man's home for over six months, addressed to a mysterious Mr. Williams.

Online shopping has created a global gathering place for digital crooks and credit card thieves. [ more ]

Openletter

Disrupting the Deepfake Supply Chain

AI-generated deepfakes pose significant risks like nonconsensual porn, fraud, and political manipulation.

Safeguards are essential for protecting against the harmful impact of deepfakes, which are becoming increasingly easy to create. [ more ]

InfoQ

Generative AI: Shaping a New Future for Fraud Prevention

Digital transformation has led to sophisticated fraud methods like synthetic identities and deep fakes.

Generative AI revolutionizes fraud detection with its adaptive learning abilities, capability to handle large data sets, improved anomaly detection, and reduction in false positives. [ more ]

Entrepreneur

How Generative AI is Fueling Fake News and Online Fraud | Entrepreneur

AI-generated content can contribute to the spread of misinformation and have damaging consequences for individuals, businesses, and stock markets.

Fraudsters are increasingly using AI to create large volumes of realistic content for illegal activities, including the creation of fake news websites. [ more ]

Platformer

The Taylor Swift deepfakes are a warning

Generative AI has led to a flood of AI-generated spam and a decline in advertising revenue for the journalism industry.

Generative AI tools are being used in harassment campaigns, as seen in the sexually explicit, AI-generated images of Taylor Swift on X. [ more ]

www.mercurynews.com

US politics

Donald Trump owes $87,000 daily interest on historic fraud penalties

Trump owes $87,500 in interest daily on legal penalties

Interest on fines to increase by 9% annually [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

US politics

Trump Hit Where It Hurts Most

The judge ordered Trump to pay $355 million for fraud, banned him from running NY corporations for 3 years, criticized lack of contrition.

The ruling could have significant implications for Trump's wealth and public image, highlighting the repercussions of his actions. [ more ]

Alternet.org

NYC politics

Trump's longtime 'spell' on New York 'has finally worn off':former mayor

Trump's history of avoiding consequences for his actions dates back decades, starting with a 1973 federal investigation.

De Blasio believes that Trump's philosophy of bending rules and escaping consequences by legal maneuvering may finally be catching up with him. [ more ]

Hubspot

4 Phishing Email Examples Even I Could Fall For (& How to Spot Them)

Phishing emails are online scams that trick recipients into providing sensitive information.

Phishing emails come in various types, each designed to exploit specific vulnerabilities or scenarios. [ more ]

Theregister

US snares bug hunter for alleged multimillion Apple fraud

Two individuals have been charged with defrauding Apple out of $2.5 million.

The individuals gained access to Apple's systems through a third-party contractor and ordered gift cards and hardware. [ more ]

Databreaches

Attorney General James Sues Citibank for Failing to Protect and Reimburse Victims of Electronic Fraud

Citibank is being sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James for failing to protect and reimburse victims of fraud.

The lawsuit accuses Citi of inadequate online protections, misleading account holders, and denying reimbursement to victims of fraud. [ more ]

Ars Technica

Mugger take your phone? Cash apps too easily let thieves drain accounts, DA says

Popular financial apps like Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App are not adequately protecting consumers from fraud that occurs when unauthorized users gain access to unlocked devices.

The Manhattan District Attorney is urging app makers to implement additional protections to prevent financial and physical harm to customers.

The District Attorney's office is interested in discussing Apple's 'Stolen Device Protection' feature as a potential security measure. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

Venmo, Zelle, Cash App put on notice after claims payment apps leave consumers vulnerable to fraud

Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App are vulnerable to fraud, causing significant financial harm to consumers.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has demanded that these companies increase protections to prevent fraud and theft. [ more ]

New York Post

Marketing

Medicaid home care program marketed to NYers on TikTok as a 'get rich quick' scheme

A $6 billion Medicaid care program in New York is being advertised as an easy way for young people to get paid by the government.

A TikTok video has gone viral, showcasing how a person can make use of the state's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). [ more ]

Benzinga

Marketing

Social Media Platforms Flag Influencers Who Promote Cannabis Products

Influencer fraud is a significant challenge in cannabis marketing, with bot-generated followers and engagements posing a risk for brands.

Social media regulations surrounding cannabis content are evolving, providing new opportunities for influencer marketing in the industry. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

SHE Beverage Co. CEO accused of defrauding investors, spending at Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores

The CEO of a women-focused beverage company has been charged with operating a fraudulent scheme that raised over $13 million from investors.

Prosecutors claim that the CEO spent the majority of the funds on luxury items and gambling at casinos instead of using them for the business. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

Europe politics

Police in Sicily arrest suspected mafia members over EU subsidies fraud

37 people, including alleged mafia members, have been arrested in Sicily for a large-scale fraud involving EU agricultural subsidies.

91 individuals were previously convicted for fraudulently receiving over 5 million euros in subsidies between 2010 and 2017.

Mafia clans obtained the funds with the help of white-collar workers who navigated the bureaucratic world of EU funding. [ more ]

The New Yorker