Consumerist
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tax tips
How To Deduct Ponzi Scheme Losses On Your Taxes
Did you know that IRS revenue ruling 2009-20 can help you claim losses from Ponzi schemes? Here's what to do: -
ponzi schemers
Madoff Asks Judge For 12-Year Sentence
CNN just reported that Bernie Madoff's lawyer has submitted a letter to the judge who will be sentencing him next week, asking for a 12-year sentence.
"Mr. Madoff is currently 71 years old and has an approximate life expectancy of 13 years," wrote Sorkin, whose letter was released on Tuesday. "A prison term of 12 years - just short of an effective life sentence - will sufficiently address the goals of deterrence, protecting the public and promoting respect for the law."
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scams
Hotel Gold-Buying Events Soil The Good Name Of Cash4Gold
Cash4Gold has an important message that they want us in the media to bring to the public. As the most respected name in direct-to-consumer gold ripoffs, Cash4Gold is "greatly concerned" that other entities are fraudulently using their good name for in-person gold-buying events. More » -
scams
Stay Away From The Nigerian Tutoring Scam
Are you a student looking for a summer or long-term tutoring gig? Be sure to stay away from the foreign tutoring scam, especially if you're looking for work on Craigslist. More » -
scams
Don't Give Money To Strangers Online
Becca Beushausen, a 26-year-old woman who went by "April's Mom" online, scammed gullible readers out of money to help pay for a fake pregnancy. Then she accidentally screwed up her scam by posting a photo of the supposed baby last week. "'It wasn't a photo of a baby at all,' said Elizabeth Russell, a mother and maker of lifelike Reborn Dolls, 'It was a doll. I have that same doll.'" More » -
conflict of interest
Anti-Fraud Organization Says Weight-Loss Company Pumped Up Its Own Stock
The Fraud Discovery Institute says diet food company Medifast's outside accounting firm, Bagell, Joseph's & Levine & Co. LLC — which runs its own money management firm — recommended the company's stock to clients, creating a conflict of interest. More » -
washington mutual
WaMu Saddles Credit Card Theft Victim With Thousands In Fraudulent Charges
Someone stole reader A's WaMu credit card number and racked up thousands in fraudulent charges, and now WaMu wants A to pay for it. The fraudsters also made a PIN request for a cash advance over the phone, and WaMu said that phonecall orginated from A's parents house. Because of this, which A says is impossible, WaMu demands A be responsible for the charges. He's written letters and called executive customer service and it's gotten him nowhere. His crappy story, inside...
More »
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identity theft
The Maid Is Stealing Your Checkbook
Identity theft is rising in the recession, according to a Brooklyn public defender I talked to at a party this weekend. Most often the crime starts with the perp stealing the victim's checkbook, he said. More » -
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insurance fraud
On The Rise: People Blowing Up Their Own Cars
Nothing salves buyer's remorse like a match in a fuel tank. Citing National Insurance Crime Bureau figures, a Los Angeles Times story says car owners are resorting to nefarious means to put an end to burdensome car loans. In the first quarter of the year, suspicious fires or arson were up 27 percent for the first quarter of the year and cases of intentionally destroyed cars shot up 24 percent. More » -
lawsuits
SEC: Countrywide CEO Called Mortgages "Toxic" Three Freaking Years Ago
Today, as expected, is a crappy day for former Countrywide CEO and co-founder Angelo "Orangey Orangerton" Mozilo. The SEC is suing Mr. Mozilo along with several of his colleagues, claiming that they profited from stock sales while hiding information from investors. More » -
mortgage meltdown
Lawsuits: Countrywide Ex-CEO To Feel Wrath Of SEC
His extreme orangeness, former CEO and founder of Countrywide Home Loans Angelo Mozilo, is about to be slapped with civil fraud charges, according to the Wall Street Journal. More » -
tax dollars
FBI Warns Of Bailout Fraud
It's not just monolithic corporations, financial institutions, state governments and the like that are benefiting from bailout funds. Scam artists stand to make a killing also, the FBI says: More » -
advice
Is That Person At Your Door A Real Census Worker?
The Census is starting up again, and the Better Business Bureau wants to remind people to use reason and caution when answering the door. You're required by law to answer Census questions, but scammers may pose as legit Census workers and take advantage of the situation. "Law enforcement in several states have issued warnings that scammers are already posing as Census Bureau employees and knocking on doors asking for donations and Social Security numbers." Here's how to identify a real U.S. Census worker. More » -
bad check scams
Look Out For These Check Scams
Check fraud has been around as long as checks, and even though technology is fast rendering the old-school payment method obsolete, check fraudsters have still gotta eat, so they've just got to try that much harder to con you out of your money. More » -
tampering
Man Who Poisoned Children In Campbell's Soup Fraud Sentenced To 100 Years
In January 2006, William Cunningham laced soup with lighter fluid, peppers, and eventually Prozac and Amitriptyline, then fed it to his 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son. He then claimed the soup had been tampered with and threatened to sue Campbell Soup if they didn't pay up. Yesterday he was sentenced to 100 years in prison. More » -
silicon valley
HealthSouth Paid For Someone's Fake Boobs
Most medical company execs get dinged for being too stingy with their company's funds. But it's quite the opposite for former HealthSouth bossman Richard Scrushy, who was quite the giver. More » -
the wire was a badass show
FBI Uses Wire Taps To Catch Mortgage Scammers
Most definitely copying what they've learned from the badass HBO show "The Wire," law enforcement agencies are using wire taps to catch bad guys in the cleverest of ways. More » -
Dreamcast, we hardly knew ye
'New' Dreamcast More Like Nightmarecast
Released stateside in 1999, Sega's ill-fated Dreamcast never got a fair shake in its time. The system, the forerunner of the generation that would include the more successful Xbox and PlayStation 2, offered online connectivity and stunning graphics. Yet the Dreamcast flopped so hard, Sega pulled out of the consolemaking business and now spends its time standing in the corner, talking to itself and making 12 awful Sonic games a year. More »
fraud
New York, 9:49 AM
Sat Jul 4
27 posts in the last 24 hours
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