Consumerist
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dubious
Police: Gang Was Killing People For Fat, Attempting To Sell It To Cosmetic Companies
Police in Peru say that they've caught a group that was allegedly killing people and harvesting their fat to sell to Europeans who wanted it for cosmetics. More » -
reviews
Should Yelp Remove Reviews By Non Customers?
Lehigh Pub, the restaurant in Pennsylvania that had two patrons arrested for not tipping, was blasted on Yelp in the past 24 hours or so by angry readers. Many of them weren't customers, but heard about the arrests in the news and came to vote down the pub. As of this morning, it had an average of one star out of five. More » -
caveat crimen
Watch Out Criminals: That Craigslist "Customer" Might Be The Police
The Chicago Sun-Times says that three men have been charged with "stealing cash and property at gunpoint from victims thinking they were meeting to buy televisions and other electronics advertised on Craigslist." The suspects were arrested after police saw "suspicious" postings on Craigslist and contacted the sellers posing as an interested customer. More » -
christmas
North Pole, Alaska, Forced Out Of Santa Letter Program
New security rules have proven too complex for Alaska's post offices to bear, so they're ending their participation in Operation Santa, the 50-year-old program where letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole" are answered by volunteers. The program will continue elsewhere, reports the Associated Press, but when I called the USPS to find out where letters should be addressed I was told parents should contact their local post offices for information. More » -
video
82-Year-Old Receipt Checker Chases Thief
This security footage from a BJ's Wholesale in Florida shows a man trying to steal two computers, and the store's elderly greeter/receipt-checker giving chase. Almost all the good stuff happens off screen, so you'll have to imagine the awesome karate moves that probably ensued. It's retail crime fighting in action! More » -
crime
T.J. Maxx: Good News, Profits Are Up, Bad News, Hostage Situation
Yesterday T.J. Maxx announced that third-quarter earnings surged ahead 47% as the company attracted great-recession-weary shoppers to its stores. Oh, and there might have been a "hostage" situation in one of its Florida stores. More » -
line jumpers
15 Years In Prison After Cutting The Line At Walmart?
Here's a strange story from southeast Missouri. Three years ago a college student was waiting in line at Walmart. Her cousin was waiting in another line that was moving faster. The college student, now a teacher who lives in Louisiana, joined her cousin in the "faster" line. This apparently started a confrontation with other customers (and eventually the police) that may cause the woman to spend 15 years in prison. More » -
identity theft
Identity Thieves Victimize Hancock Customers In Several States
News reports are coming in from several states detailing a debit card identity theft scheme in which thieves steal debit card info and pin numbers, then withdraw money from customers' accounts. More » -
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theft
Store Theft In The US Jumped 8.8% Last Year
Maybe this is why stores seem to be getting more and more aggressive about shoplifting: CNN says that retail theft in the US jumped 8.8% over the past year, versus only 1.5% in the prior year. But you may be surprised (only if you've never worked retail) to see where most of the theft occurs. More » -
crime
Middle Class Shoplifting To Keep Up Appearances
Shoplifting is up 20% in the UK as choice cuts of meat, fresh fish and fancy cheeses are increasingly getting stolen, mostly by middle-class women from boutique food emporiums and convenience stores More » -
whoops
Yankees Fans Celebrate Championship By Giving Away Your Private Information
In case the unlimited payroll, overpriced stadium, and everything else weren't enough, here's another reason to dislike the Yankees: their celebratory parades are havens for white collar crime. More » -
creepy
Bill Collector Accused Of Offering Debt Forgiveness For Sex
A Rent-A-Center employee near Detroit has allegedly found a new approach to helping consumers get out of debt: making their bills go away in exchange for sex. More » -
inappropriate
Hospital Sends $29,000 Bill To Parents Of Murdered College Student
Not only did the UC Davis Medical Center send a $29,186.50 bill to the parents of college student who was beaten to death by his roommate, they also sent a letter letting them know that their son was considered indigent and was no longer welcome at the hospital if he needed further treatment. He doesn't, of course, because he is deceased. More » -
get off my lawn
McDonalds Shakes Cane At Teens, Calls Police On Them For Rapping Their Order
Four teens in American Fork, Utah, have been issued citations for disturbing the peace after they drove up to a McDonald's and recreated this food order. Doesn't McDonald's know that they invented the food order rap genre in the first place? More » -
ponzi schemes
Madoff Victims Receive First Repayment Of $534 Million
The trustee who's liquidating Bernie Madoff's firm has released $534.2 million in repayments to some of his victims, reports Bloomberg. The half-billion is a drop in the bucket of total verified losses, which are now more than $21 billion. But hey, those 1,558 victims whose claims were approved for this partial payout are probaby pretty happy—which is more than you can say for the 2,500+ Madoff customers who may be sued to return fake profits.
"Madoff Trustee Advances $534 Million to Customers " [Bloomberg]
(Photo: Todd Huffman) -
crime
Yep, Trying To Trade Sex For World Series Tickets Is Illegal
We know you really want to go see the Phillies/Yankees World Series, but you'll have to find some way to pay for it that doesn't include sex acts. One Philly fan found out that hard way when an undercover cop answered her Craigslist ad. More » -
crime
5 People Charged With Robbing And Torturing Mortgage Modification Agents
KTLA says that five people have been charged with torture, robbery and false imprisonment after luring two loan modification agents to a location and then holding them for hours, beating and robbing them before one escaped. More » -
granny red shirt
American Medical Alarms Sends Elderly Neighbor To Investigate Next Door
Is it okay for an alarm company to ask a neighbor to check on its customer? By sending a 70-year-old woman over to check on their 80-something-year-old customer, American Medical Alarms may have helped prematurely end a robbery/beating in progress. On the other hand, they asked a 70-year-old woman to go investigate an emergency next door—basically turning her into a potential Red Shirt. As the heroic neighbor's daughter points out, "They should have already considered the possibility that something like this could happen, and have policies in place to prevent it." More »
crime
New York, 3:47 AM
Sun Nov 22
8 posts in the last 24 hours
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