fraud

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Campers Find Foot of Missing Fraud Suspect

Police believe Australian woman Melissa Caddick stole up to $30M from investors

(Newser) - When Australian businesswoman Melissa Caddick disappeared in November, hours after police raided her Sydney home, there was widespread speculation that she had staged her disappearance after stealing millions of dollars from investors. The speculation ended when her foot was found washed up on a remote beach. Authorities said Friday that...

Fake Heiress Anna Sorokin Released From Prison
Fake Heiress
Gets Out of Prison
Feb 12, 2021 3:51 AM CST

Fake Heiress Gets Out of Prison

Anna Sorokin used Netflix money to repay victims

(Newser) - Anna Sorokin, convicted in 2019 of scamming banks, hotels, and friends by pretending to be a wealthy heiress, is a free woman again. The German con artist was released from an upstate New York prison Thursday after having her sentence shortened for good behavior, Insider reports. In May 2019, she...

Calif.: Criminals Raided Unemployment Funds to Tune of $11.4B

State's labor secretary says hackers, other criminals may have stolen an additional $20B

(Newser) - From March of last year to the middle of January, California paid out some $114 billion in unemployment benefits. Now, the state's labor secretary, Julie Su, has some alarming news on about $11.4 billion, or 10%, of that figure—those payments were fraudulent, stolen by hackers, identity thieves,...

In Hong Kong, a 'Crisis for the Judiciary'

Pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai back in prison after being released on bail

(Newser) - Media mogul Jimmy Lai, the most prominent person to be charged under Hong Kong's broad new national-security law, was released from prison last week on $1.3 million bail to await his trial in April. On Thursday, however, the city's highest court delivered some bad news to the...

Largest Fraud Vermont Has Ever Seen Started With a Peak

Things were rotten from the start of the 2008 purchase of Jay Peak

(Newser) - Vermont's Jay Peak ski resort was for sale, and a Florida man wanted it—and got it. But as Dan D'Ambrosio and April McCullum of the Burlington Free Press describe in a lengthy three-part series, it would only be years later that authorities would determine Ariel Quiros only...

Vaccine Scams Are Already Happening
Vaccine Scams
Are Already
Happening
the rundown
Dec 19, 2020 12:35 PM CST

Vaccine Scams Are Already Happening

Homeland Security agents are already chasing down fake websites

(Newser) - If you're seeing coronavirus vaccine deals, look again: US officials say they're almost certainly scams. Whether by email, phone, or online, scammers are angling to take advantage of our desire for inoculation. "If you're receiving unsolicited offers for a vaccine—not one, not two, but about...

Woman Allegedly Used Senator's Name in Aid Scam

California claim was submitted in name of Sen. Dianne Feinstein

(Newser) - A former unemployment agency employee in California is accused of using her inside knowledge to scam the system using multiple names—including that of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Federal prosecutors say former Employment Development Department employee Andrea Gervais filed scores of claims using stolen information and received around $216,000 from...

Kelly Clarkson: My Ex, His Dad Defrauded Me

She alleges Brandon, Narvel Blackstock charged her outrageous fees, managed her illegally

(Newser) - A few months ago, Kelly Clarkson said her life had turned into "a little bit of a dumpster" after she and husband Brandon Blackstock called it quits. Now, more fuel for that dumpster fire. TMZ reports the 38-year-old American Idol and Voice star has "declared war" on Blackstock,...

Ex-Arizona Official Jailed for &#39;Baby-Selling&#39; Scheme
They Hoped to Adopt. They
Walked Into a 'Baby Mill'
in case you missed it
Dec 5, 2020 7:00 AM CST

They Hoped to Adopt. They Walked Into a 'Baby Mill'

Ex-Arizona official jailed for 'baby-selling' scheme prosecutors say spanned 3 states

(Newser) - A former Arizona elected official and adoption lawyer has been sentenced to six years in prison in Arkansas for what prosecutors say was a scheme that involved smuggling dozens of pregnant women from the Marshall Islands into US states to give birth, reports the Washington Post . Paul Petersen, 45, "...

After Years of Denials, the NRA Fesses Up

Current and former executives have been abusing funds, the nonprofit says

(Newser) - Looks like NRA execs really have been taking from the cookie jar. After years of denials, the National Rifle Association now admits that current and former executives—including current CEO Wayne LaPierre—recklessly used NRA funds for their personal enrichment, the Washington Post reports. According to a 2019 tax filing,...

Death Row Inmates Scam State Pandemic Benefits

They were among thousands of prisoners illegally receiving California benefits

(Newser) - Authorities in California say they've uncovered the "most significant fraud on taxpayer funds" in state history—and most of the perpetrators are already behind bars. Nine district attorneys and a federal prosecutor said Tuesday that tens of thousands of prisoners, including many on death row, had scammed the...

Fraud Suspect Tries to Flee FBI on &#39;Sea Scooter&#39;
Fraud Suspect Attempts
Very Unusual Getaway
in case you missed it
Nov 21, 2020 3:40 PM CST

Fraud Suspect Attempts Very Unusual Getaway

California man didn't get far on his sea scooter

(Newser) - A California man accused of scamming members of his local church in a $35 million Ponzi scheme attempted a daring getaway Monday with federal agents in hot pursuit. The FBI says 44-year-old Matthew Piercey fled in his pickup truck before entering Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, and attempting...

'Scorned' Man Takes $1M Case to Court

Dongdong Huang claimed Peipei Li tricked him into showering her with cash

(Newser) - A Vancouver lawyer must be licking his wounds after taking his scorned-love case to court and losing big time, the CBC reports. Dongdong Huang claimed Peipei Li duped him into thinking they were in love and marriage-bound so he would lavish her with over $1 million in gifts and cash—...

Gift Card Scam Nets Tesla, Waterfront Home, and 9 Years

Ukranian hired by Microsoft to test system found a flaw

(Newser) - As a tester for Microsoft, Volodymyr Kvashuk placed fake online orders to check the system. The software wouldn't allow products to be sent to testers, so there was no risk of the company being scammed. Except there was. Kvashuk, who was hired in 2016, discovered nothing stopped him from...

Bannon&#39;s Lawyers React to Call for &#39;Beheadings&#39;
Bannon's Lawyers:
We're Outta Here
Nov 7, 2020 3:30 PM CST

Bannon's Lawyers: We're Outta Here

The attorneys say Bannon will 'formally retain new counsel'

(Newser) - Looks like Steve Bannon's lawyers aren't too thrilled with the whole "beheading" thing, Law & Crime reports. In fact, they asked a judge Friday to delay a hearing because they want out. "Mr. Bannon is in the process of retaining new counsel, and [the law firm]...

Alleged Recipient of Bogus COVID Loan Made Flashy Buys

A 6-figure Mercedes and brand-new pickup were telltale clues for the feds

(Newser) - Bold move, Florida man. So say the feds, who accuse a Dade City man of receiving a federal COVID-19 loan under false pretenses and using the money to buy himself a $106,000 Mercedes and a Ford F-250 pickup worth $66,000, reports TampaBay.com . In a release , the Department...

Lev Parnas Faces New Charges
Lev Parnas
Faces Ironic
New Charges
Sep 17, 2020 5:30 PM CDT

Lev Parnas Faces Ironic New Charges

The former Rudy Giuliani associate is accused of defrauding investors in fraud protection company

(Newser) - Lev Parnas is back in the media eye and facing new federal charges—this time, for allegedly defrauding investors with a company he started called Fraud Guarantee, NBC News reports. "We couldn't say it better ourselves—the behavior alleged today is indeed fraudulent—guaranteed," said FBI Assistant...

Woman's Gruesome Scheme to Collect $1.2M Is a Big Fail

Slovenia's Julija Adlesic sentenced to 2 years in prison after cutting off own hand for insurance cash

(Newser) - A Slovenian woman who'd hoped to collect a $1.2 million insurance payout may want to rethink her methods next time. Sky News and the BBC report that 22-year-old Julija Adlesic was sentenced to two years behind bars after being found guilty by a Ljubljana court of insurance fraud....

Court Shuts Down Firms Behind Millions of Robocalls

Owners are out of the robocall business for good

(Newser) - You may not have heard of Nicholas and Natasha Palumbo, but chances are they're responsible for annoying you at some point. The Justice Department says the Arizona couple and two companies they own have been permanently banned from sending robocalls to any American phone numbers or providing any other...

Steve Bannon: I'm 'Honey Badger,' Will Fight

On his podcast, he calls arrest a 'political hit job'

(Newser) - Steve Bannon isn't lying low. The former Trump strategist returned to his War Room podcast Friday, one day after his arrest on allegations that he stole money from donors to an online campaign. "Everybody knows I love a fight," he said, per CNN . Bannon reiterated a claim...

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