If you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, you might find yourself visiting some unfamiliar gas stations, ATMs, or kiosks that accept credit cards. The recent arrest in California of two men who are accused of draining $500,000 from US Bank customers’ accounts should remind people across the country and all over the world: be careful where you swipe your debit card, and be protective of your PIN. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Let’s Review: You Will Never Have To Send $6K In iTunes Gift Cards To The IRS
By 8.31.16
When you owe money to the Internal Revenue Service, they don’t call you up. Instead, they send letters through the mail. Yet people send thousands of dollars every day to scammers in faraway call centers who claim to represent the federal government. If you don’t know that the call is a scam, it can be super scary to be threatened with seven years in prison over the phone. [More]
When Is A Cooler Too Cool? When People Keep Stealing Them
By 8.31.16
When you think of designer goods that are prime targets for thieves, you might think of stuff like handbags, jewelry, and clothing, perhaps. But coolers? Really? [More]
United Airlines Employee Accused Of Stealing $129K Worth Of Jewelry From Passenger
By 8.31.16
Despite that popular childhood chant, finders is not keepers in the adult world, which is why a United Airlines employee is in hot water for allegedly boosting $129,000 in jewelry that was stashed in a passenger’s lost bag. [More]
Guy Accused Of Stealing $1K Worth Of $2K Mannequin From Adult Novelty Shop
By 8.26.16
While we’ve seen our fair share of break-ins and burglaries, this one might take the cake for specificity: a pricey mannequin was rendered legless in Ohio recently, after a guy allegedly broke into an adult novelty shop and boosted the top half of the $2,000 figure. [More]
Police On The Lookout For Guy Who Stole Beer While Dressed As Batman/Captain America
By 8.25.16
If you’ve seen a guy around town wearing a Batman suit paired with a Captain America mask, you might want to give police in Salamanca, NY, a call. [More]
Burger King Manager Facing Assault Charge For Allegedly Throwing Sauce At Customer
By 8.25.16
It can be frustrating for both customers and fast food employees alike when something about an order isn’t right, but that’s no excuse for chucking things at each other. One such tense situation is why a Burger King manager was arrested recently, after allegedly throwing sauce at an unhappy customer. [More]
Walmart Worker Turns Herself In To Police After Accepting $1,000 In Movie Prop Cash
By 8.24.16
When a movie or TV show needs stacks of cash for a scene, they don’t usually withdraw millions from the bank and hope no one walks away with it. Instead, they use prop money that will pass for the real thing on camera, but that any cashier with eyes would immediately notice is fake. So when some Walmart shoppers in Georgia managed to buy $1,000 of stuff with fake movie money, police were suspicious about the cashier’s involvement. [More]
Police: Brooklyn Men Busted Trying To Sell $500K Worth Of Stolen Eels On A Street Corner
By 8.23.16
If there was ever a time that the joke, “Is that an eel in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” could work, it would’ve been in Brooklyn recently, when cops said they busted three men who allegedly tried to sell $500,000 worth of stolen, frozen eels on a street corner. [More]
Man Accused Of Stealing Thousands Of Dollars From Women He Met Online
By 8.22.16
There might be plenty of fish in the sea for daters to choose from, but there are a few that if caught, should probably be thrown right back. For example, a man accused of stealing thousands of dollars from women he met and wooed online. [More]
Theater Producer Accused Of Scamming Investors Out Of $165K For Fake Broadway Play
By 8.19.16
It sounds like something out of a Broadway musical: a producer approaches investors, hyping a fantastic, inspirational show about a famous opera singer, starring a famous actress. Only this was real life, with a real person accused of scamming seven people out of $165,000. [More]
Wine Shop Owner Admits Scamming Customers Out Of $45M In Ponzi Scheme
By 8.16.16
Though the words “Ponzi scheme” may conjure images of Bernie Madoff ripping off big investment funds, the scam can come in many shapes in sizes… or liquids, as a case out of California involving a wine shop owner accused of stealing $45 million in undelivered products shows. [More]
As Floods Ravage Louisiana, Here’s How To Avoid Home Repair & Charity Scams
By 8.15.16
As you have no doubt already heard, flood waters are wreaking havoc in Louisiana, displacing many thousands of residents and doing untold damage to their homes. When the waters eventually recede and people return home, there will inevitably be scammers ready to take advantage of their situation; just as there will be bogus charities and other fraudsters waiting to cash in on the good will of other Americans. [More]
Beware: Video-Jackers Can See Everything You Type On Your Smartphone
By 8.12.16
In a great example of the fact that not every USB charging station is as innocent as it looks, security researchers have identified a new, easy way for attackers to digitally eavesdrop on your smart phone when you think you’re charging it — and watch everything that appears on your screen while you’re doing it. [More]
Judge Forbids Man From Ordering Pizza After Restaurants Report Harassing Phone Calls
By 8.11.16
When I imagine a world without pizza delivery– wait, stop. I don’t want to go there. I don’t even want to think about where a Florida man is right now, living a pizzaless existence after a judge banned him from ordering pies from any of his local pizzerias. [More]
Woman Accused Of Punching Guy Who Thanked Her For Talking During The Movie
By 8.11.16
Sarcasm may be one of the easiest weapons to deploy when you’re annoyed with someone, but it sure didn’t work out so well for a man who thanked his fellow moviegoer for talking during the entire film. [More]
Homeowner Says Airbnb Guest Did $25K In Water Damage, May Have Shot Porn In Her House
By 8.10.16
We’re not saying this is the way things should be, but it’s the way things are: If you’re going to use Airbnb or some other service to rent out your house like a hotel, you need to know there’s a chance that the people you let stay in your home while you’re away might also see it as nothing more than a hotel room they can mess up and leave behind. [More]
Man Pleads Guilty To Hacking United Airlines To Steal Travel Vouchers
By 8.10.16
Remember the guy who was accused of hacking into United Airlines system so he could steal a bunch of travel vouchers and then sell them for a profit? He’s just pleaded guilty. [More]
