scam

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We Still Write a Lot of Checks, and Fraudsters Love It

Wall Street Journal reports on the surge in check fraud

(Newser) - Paper checks might eventually disappear altogether, but the Wall Street Journal reports that fraudsters are busy capitalizing on them in the meantime. Its exploration of the issue is illustrated in two stats:
  • Americans write an average of 30 checks per year, by far the most of any nation. No. 2
...

5 Arrested After Fake Brad Pitt Scams Fans
They Thought They Were
Talking to Brad Pitt, Lost $365K
in case you missed it
Sep 28, 2024 6:00 AM CDT

They Thought They Were Talking to Brad Pitt, Lost $365K

Police in Spain say 5 arrested in fraud scheme that bilked 2 women

(Newser) - Two Brad Pitt fans experienced the ultimate disappointment—and wallet buster—when it turns out the person online they thought was one of their favorite actors was actually a group of people scamming them, according to police in Spain. The Times of India reports on the arrest of five individuals...

Scam or Side Hustle? Gaming the Citi Bike Reward System

New York Times explores the lucrative gig some see as unethical

(Newser) - A few savvy New Yorkers have figured out how to game a Citi Bike program that rewards members who help move bikes to locations with low inventory—to the tune of thousands of dollars every month. While the side hustle requires a lot of time, coordination, and exercise to earn...

Silicon Valley Exec Scammed Out of $400K

Rana Robillard thought she was sending a down payment, was actually having her money stolen

(Newser) - A Silicon Valley executive who was on the brink of buying a house instead ended up scammed out of nearly $400,000. Rana Robillard told her story to NBC News as a warning to other homebuyers about how sophisticated cybercrime has become. An email in late January, apparently from her...

Philippine Mayor Accused of Being Chinese Spy

Alice Guo said to be in hiding following allegations of fraud, human trafficking

(Newser) - Philippine officials are searching for a local mayor accused of being a Chinese spy. Alice Guo, mayor of the town of Bamban, has gone into hiding after refusing multiple requests to appear at investigative hearings centered on scams operating out of a casino facility "on land partially owned by...

Anna Sorokin Has Competition in 'Queen of the Con'
'Queen of the Con'
Extradited From Maine
UPDATED
Jul 2, 2024 11:38 AM CDT

'Queen of the Con' Extradited From Maine

Alleged fake heiress Marianne Smyth to answer 15-year-old fraud charges in Northern Ireland

(Newser) - A US woman who allegedly claimed to be an Irish heiress and scammed victims out of tens of thousands of dollars has been extradited to the UK to face charges there, reports the AP . Marianne Smyth allegedly stole more than $170,000 from victims in Northern Ireland from 2008 to...

In Graceland Scam, Identity Thief Steps Forward

Plot using faked documents 'didn't succeed very well,' individual tells 'NYT'

(Newser) - An alleged identity thief claims to be behind the attempted foreclosure auction of Elvis Presley's beloved home, Graceland. "We figure out how to steal," the individual wrote in an email to the New York Times . "That's what we do." The Times had sent questions...

Fire Department Sent $220K for Ambulances, Then 'Panicked'

Hackers stole money sent by volunteer unit in Rockville, Maryland

(Newser) - A volunteer fire department in Maryland is out more than $100,000 after money meant for new ambulances was swiped in a "business email compromise" scam. Per the Washington Post , the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department wired a $220,000 deposit for two much-needed new ambulances late last month, thinking...

Cops: Scam Calls Ended in Uber Driver's Murder

William Brock of Ohio accused of killing innocent woman after both received deceptive requests

(Newser) - An 81-year-old Ohio man is accused of shooting and killing an Uber driver who was directed to his home as part of a scam. Police say the homeowner, now charged with murder, received a call from a scammer who demanded he cover bond for a jailed relative. The caller, who...

UK MP: 'I've Hurt People by Being Weak'

William Wragg says he revealed colleagues' phone numbers after getting caught up in sexting scam

(Newser) - British lawmakers who may have been targeted in a sexting scam were urged Friday to go to police, after a senior Conservative admitted disclosing the personal phone numbers of some colleagues to an unknown individual who held "compromising" material on him. William Wragg, who chairs the Public Administration and...

Mexican Cartel Targets Seniors' Timeshares
Powerful Mexican Cartel
Targets Timeshare Owners
in case you missed it
Mar 24, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

Powerful Mexican Cartel Targets Timeshare Owners

Jalisco New Generation call scam might be its most lucrative venture

(Newser) - The scam started small. After receiving a call from a supposed real estate agent offering to broker the sale of their barely used timeshare to a wealthy Mexican businessman, the US couple agreed to send a few thousand dollars across the border to settle transaction costs. Then they sent more...

Hundreds of 'Good-Looking' People Lured for 'Love Scam'
They Were Lured In, Then Made
to Carry Out 'Love Scams'
in case you missed it
Mar 17, 2024 11:40 AM CDT

They Were Lured In, Then Made to Carry Out 'Love Scams'

In this case out of the Philippines, some of the scammers were victims themselves

(Newser) - What claimed to be an online gambling firm was, in fact, a scam center that had trapped hundreds of "good-looking" people, who were then forced to woo unsuspecting victims, according to police in the Philippines, who raided the center 60 miles north of Manila on Thursday. Authorities served warrants...

Prosecutors: Con Man Tried to Scam George Santos

Prosecutors say Hector Medina offered several targets his services to make criminal charges vanish

(Newser) - A Texas man already convicted of fraud who was searching the internet for easy marks settled on, among other celebrities, George Santos, federal prosecutors say. The pitch was that Hector Medina Jr. could make evidence against them disappear, along with whatever criminal charges they faced. In exchange, Medina would be...

Another Financial Writer Admits Getting Scammed

'Put your smugness away,' advises Michelle Singletary

(Newser) - Last week, a personal-finance writer for New York Magazine detailed how she'd been scammed out of $50,000. People were incredulous someone in her profession could be so gullible. In the Washington Post , fellow financial-advice writer Michelle Singletary writes that she had to "stifle my own self-righteousness" upon...

Financial Advice Columnist: How I Was Scammed Out of $50K

'If someone is trying to get you to be compliant, they do it incrementally, in a series of small steps'

(Newser) - Charlotte Cowles is the financial advice columnist for the Cut; she used to have a weekly column in the New York Times' business section. She's someone people describe as levelheaded; her best friend and her brother are lawyers. All of this makes it particularly shocking that she was scammed...

Only One Person on Costly Video Call Wasn't a Deepfake

Unnamed company out $25M after worker in Hong Kong falls for elaborate scam

(Newser) - A financial worker sent $25 million to fraudsters after falling victim to a scam that made impressive but alarming use of deepfake technology. The worker initially feared a phishing scam upon receiving an email, purportedly from the UK-based chief financial officer of the unnamed multinational company, explaining the need for...

Apple, Google Pull App Linked to Sextortion Scams

Wizz, a Tinder-style app aimed at teens, says it's trying to remedy the 'technical hiccup'

(Newser) - A Tinder-style app geared toward teens has been yanked from both Apple and Google's app portals after warnings about sextortion. NBC News reports that, according to emails it viewed, Wizz was pulled on Tuesday from the Apple App Store following pushback from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation on...

Man Falls Ill After Scammer Tells Wife to Get Rid of Him

Roxanne Doucette, 64, investigated for attempted murder in Massachusetts

(Newser) - A Massachusetts woman is suspected of serving her husband poisoned soup based on text messages she sent to a scammer, whom she thought to be a soap opera star. Roxanne Doucette, 64, is being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder, according to a Townsend Police incident report. Her 73-year-old husband...

This 'Pig Butchering' Scam Has Victims on Both Sides

Modern-day slaves are forced to try to scam unsuspecting Americans

(Newser) - It has a memorable name—and a devastating impact. CNN takes a deep dive into the rise of a "pig butchering" scam involving cryptocurrency, modern-day slaves, and duped Americans. It spent six months speaking with victims, investigators, and, yes, some scammers to pull the veil back on a scheme...

Moving Company Employees Guilty in 'Despicable' Scheme

Prosecutors said companies would hold belongings hostage, demand extra fees

(Newser) - Two people who worked for a succession of fraudulent moving companies based in New York City are going to be moving to federal prisons for up to 20 years. A jury found Kristy Mak, 34, and Andre Prince, 45, guilty of one count of wire fraud in what prosecutors described...

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