fraud

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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...

Bannon: 'Fiasco' Is Plot to Stop People Who Want the Wall

He has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges

(Newser) - Steve Bannon, who has been indicted on charges of scamming donors to a "We Build the Wall" campaign, blames his political foes for his arrest. "This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall," President Trump's former chief strategist said after leaving...

Bannon Enters Plea, Gets Terms of Release

Former Trump adviser makes first court appearance

(Newser) - Steve Bannon went from a yacht to a holding cell Thursday, pleading not guilty during his arraignment in New York on federal fraud charges. The former adviser to President Trump was on a 150-footer when he was arrested earlier in the morning on charges that he defrauded donors to a...

Biggest Lottery Winner in US Was Swindled: Prosecutors

'Lottery Lawyer' Jason Kurland charged in $107M fraud

(Newser) - The "Lottery Lawyer" advertised his services while noting that many lottery winners "are not sophisticated enough" to see potential scams. "You really have to rely on the professionals," Jason Kurland told Vice in 2016. Now three winners who relied on Kurland have lost more than $80...

Germany to Public: Help Us Find This Guy

Jan Marsalek is accused of massive fraud with former company Wirecard

(Newser) - He was once seen as a top exec at a wildly successful tech firm in Germany. Now, though, Jan Marsalek is on Interpol's most wanted list, reports Bloomberg . Authorities in Germany also are appealing to the public for help in tracking down the 40-year-old Austrian, who may or may...

Authorities Couldn't Find This Guy—Until He Lost His Temper

Marcus Catalin Rosu is accused of 'skimming' from ATMs

(Newser) - If only Marcus Catalin Rosu had kept his cool. The California man's blow-up at an airport car rental eventually led to his arrest for alleged "skimming"—a fraud issue that plagues the ATM industry, the New York Times reports. Authorities say Rosu, 39, had been riding his...

Arkansas Sues Jim Bakker Over Bogus COVID Cure

The TV preacher is accused of exploiting consumer fears

(Newser) - TV preacher and convicted fraudster Jim Bakker is being sued yet again for selling a product that supposedly "eliminates" the coronavirus from the body within hours. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has filed a lawsuit against the Missouri-based televangelist under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, saying 385 Arkansans had...

Feds: He Said He Had the Virus, Caused 'Distress'

And made an Atlanta company lose $100K due to alleged false claim, per the FBI

(Newser) - A Fortune 500 company in Atlanta says it's out $100,000 because an ex-worker exploited the pandemic. Per a DOJ release , Santwon Antonio Davis, 34, is accused of defrauding the unnamed company by falsely claiming he had COVID-19 and fabricating medical records. The AP lays out the details of...

&#39;Explosive&#39; Biblical Fragment Leads to Byzantine Scheme
'Explosive' Biblical Fragment
Leads to Scholar's Arrest
in case you missed it
May 17, 2020 10:10 AM CDT

'Explosive' Biblical Fragment Leads to Scholar's Arrest

Dirk Obbink, once a leading papyrologist, is now in hot water

(Newser) - Dirk Obbink seemed eerily calm when a reporter knocked on his door near Oxford University last year. "I'd like to tell it," the scholar said of his alleged role in a major antiquities scandal. "But I'm under a duty not to speak about the matter...

Madoff Wants to Make 'Dying Plea' for Release

Lawyer says fraudster wants to personally tell judge he is remorseful

(Newser) - Bernie Madoff, who disclosed last month that he is dying of kidney disease , wants to make a "final dying, personal plea" for freedom, the fraudster's lawyer said Thursday in a request for a new hearing. Attorney Brandon Sample said it would be "eminently reasonable" to schedule a...

Scammers Called Up People for Money and Got $50M

Looks like Gilbert Chikli, 54, and Anthony Lasarevitsch, 35, are going to prison

(Newser) - Six guys scammed people out of $50 million—by calling them and asking for it, the New York Times reports. A French court found them all guilty Wednesday of an elaborate scheme to defraud wealthy political, religious, and business figures. It seems Gilbert Chikli, 54, and Anthony Lasarevitsch, 35, masterminded...

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