Whoever stole a sign from New Smyrna Beach bearing an anti-drug message 30 years ago has returned the sign with an apology letter and $50 to cover reinstallation costs. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Uber Driver Wakes From Nap To Find Passenger Leading Cops On High-Speed Chase
By 4.5.16
A lot can happen when you take a nap on the job, as one Uber driver found out when he fell asleep while taking a passenger on a 200-mile ride. He awoke to find the car in the middle of a police chase, with his customer at the wheel. [More]
Former LAX Baggage Handlers Charged With Trafficking Cocaine
By 4.5.16
As a wise uncle to a superhero once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Unfortunately, some folks succumb to the temptation to use that power for their own profit. According to authorities, two former baggage handlers at Los Angeles International Airport are prime examples of this, after allegedly using their jobs to traffic cocaine across the country. [More]
Patrons Chase Would-Be Robber Out Of Waffle House
By 4.4.16
There are loyal customers, and then there are customers who go a bit farther than showing up for a free coffee after 12 visits. Like the patrons of a North Carolina Waffle House, who police say chased an armed robbery suspect out of the restaurant after he demanded cash. [More]
United Airlines Flight Turns Around After Passenger Wouldn’t Stop Doing Yoga
By 3.31.16
We’re no strangers to the idea of one unruly passenger prompting a commercial flight to change course, but who would have ever thought someone could disrupt a flight by doing something so peaceful as yoga and meditation? Folks, it can happen, and it did. [More]
Real Life Hamburglar Stole 33 Cases Of Burger King Whoppers From Back Of Delivery Truck
By 3.30.16
Contrary to what you may have believed your entire life, it turns out that the Hamburglar is not a character limited solely to pilfering beef patties from McDonald’s. How else might one explain how 33 cases of Burger King Whoppers went missing from the back of a truck recently? [More]
Scammers Allegedly Rent Chevy Suburban From Enterprise, Sell It On Craigslist For $30K
By 3.29.16
Every day, across the country, there are plenty of commercial transactions that take place in fast-food parking lots, and which originated on Craigslist, which are entirely legitimate. This was not one of them. Two man put together a strange and clever scheme: they flew to Nashville, rented a Chevrolet Suburban worth $60,000, put a fake plate on it, and forged documents saying that it didn’t belong to Enterprise. Then they listed it for sale on Craigslist. [More]
Man Puts Up Stolen Lexus As Collateral, Steals Mercedes On Test Drive
By 3.29.16
It probably wasn’t the first time that one man in Pennsylvania has been accused of stealing a car. We’re guessing. That’s because when he took a Mercedes on a test drive at a dealership near Pittsburgh, the Lexus that he left behind the keys to was, um, also reported stolen. From another dealership. [More]
Why Is My House Listed For Rent On Craigslist?
By 3.24.16
It must be an awkward conversation when you call up a friend to let her know that the house she owns is up for sale on Craigslist, but protecting us from scams is just one of the many purposes that friends serve in our lives. In California, a woman was surprised to learn that her house was listed as a rental on Craigslist, when she had no plans to rent it out. [More]
U.S. Customs Officials Find 755 Pounds Of Marijuana In Shipment Of Fresh Broccoli
By 3.24.16
Perhaps one might figure that one kind of green plant matter could easily pass as another kind, say, marijuana masquerading as a shipment of fresh broccoli. They’re the same color! But U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers weren’t born yesterday, and they can tell the difference between nutritious vegetables and weed. [More]
JetBlue Flight Attendant Accused Of Leaving Bag Full Of Cocaine At LAX Arrested In NYC
By 3.24.16
The hunt is over for the JetBlue flight attendant accused of bolting from a security checkpoint and abandoning a bag stuffed with 69 pounds of cocaine at Los Angeles Airport: authorities say she’s been arrested across the country in New York. [More]
Failed For-Profit College Operator Ordered To Pay $1.1 Billion For Predatory Practices
By 3.24.16
Corinthian Colleges Inc. — which formerly ran for-profit education chains like Everest University, Heald College, and WyoTech — may have collapsed and had its remnants sold off, but the lawsuits against the failed company continue to loom. This week, a California judge ordered the defunct company to fork over $1.1 billion to the state for lying to students, investors, and regulators. [More]
Authorities Searching For Flight Attendant Accused Of Leaving Bag Full Of Cocaine At LAX
By 3.22.16
Although airline personnel and airport employees may not have to take off their shoes or undergo the same security procedures as travelers, there are still checks in place to keep workers from carrying whatever they want onto planes — like, say, a bag full of cocaine. [More]
Police Buy Hundreds Of Boxes Of Cookies After Some Jerk Berates Girl Scouts
By 3.18.16
Whenever Girl Scout cookie season rolls around, we inevitably hear stories of grown adults behaving horribly toward these young entrepreneurs, and this year is no different. But at least in this case, there’s a bit of a happy ending after two sisters were cursed out by an angry homeowner while they were going door to door drumming up business. [More]
Scammer Must Repay $7.75M For Running Bogus Prayer Center & Consumer Complaint Service
By 3.17.16
When facing times of trouble, some people choose to believe in the power of prayer. Others put more trust in their ability to file an official complaint. A Seattle-based scam artist apparently figured he would cover all his bases, operating a trio of bogus companies covering everything from religion to consumer gripes. [More]
Airbnb Launching Tool To Let Neighbors File Complaints About Bad Renters
By 3.15.16
The next time you get really steamed up over the loud party going on next door in the house your neighbor rents out on Airbnb, you’ll have a way to air your grievances directly with the company. The home-sharing business is launching a new tool next month that will allow people to file complaints and give other feedback about unruly renters. [More]
No, The IRS Will Not Call You To Verify Your Tax Return Information
By 3.14.16
Because trying to steal money from others will never get old for criminals, scammers are constantly changing tacks to come up with new ways to rake in their ill-gotten gains. This tax season, there’s a new trick bedeviling taxpayers over the phone. [More]
Five-Passenger Brawl Breaks Out Over Loud “Boom Box” On Spirit Airlines Flight
By 3.10.16
Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight from Baltimore to Los Angeles had ringside seats to quite a brawl, reports say, after five women apparently got in a fight over a loud boom box. Yes, a boom box. [More]
