Five months after federal and state regulators accused identity theft protection company LifeLock of violating a 2010 settlement in which it paid $11 million for allegedly using false claims regarding effectiveness of its services, the company has been ordered to pay $100 million in penalties and refunds for once again misleading consumers. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Identity Theft Company LifeLock Once Again Failed To Actually Keep Identities Protected, Must Pay $100M
By 12.17.15
Feds: Hackers Spammed More Than 60 Million People Using Stolen Data
By 12.15.15
Though it seems hard to believe anyone could make money by sending out spammy emails promising enhanced improvement of a certain kind, or fake watches that look like the real thing, there are still those out there willing to give it a go. And according to the U.S. government, three hackers used stolen data to make more than $2 million in illegal profits from a spamming scheme aimed at about 60 million people. [More]
Mortgage Relief Scammers Ordered To Pay $5.4M
By 12.15.15
Eight months after federal regulators took action to stop a mortgage relief company from making hollow promises to homeowners facing foreclosure, the ringleaders behind the operation have agreed to pay more than $5.4 million in penalties and never work in the mortgage relief or telemarketing business again. [More]
How Fraudsters Can Convert Stolen Goods Into Cash Through Bargain-Hunters
By 12.11.15
Maybe you’re planning a large purchase or a big shopping trip with a certain retailer, and you seek out gift cards to that store from online gift card marketplaces. Swapping gift cards online is a unique opportunity for savings, but also provides a unique opportunity for fraudsters. [More]
Police: Father & Son Team Stole $41K Worth Of Chicken Wings From Their Employer
By 12.8.15
Some days you just need to start off with some news about meat theft, and today is one of those occasions: a father and son team near Syracuse, NY have been accused by police of pilfering about $40,000 worth of chicken wings from the restaurant where they both worked as cooks. Update: the dad in this duo had committed prior crimes against meat. Last year. [More]
Toy Maker VTech Hires Cyber Forensic Team To Help Beef Up Security After Data Breach
By 12.3.15
After a data breach at popular kids’ toy maker VTech that put the personal information of nearly five million parents and children at risk, as well as reportedly exposing many of their photos and chat logs, the Hong Kong-based company says it’s bringing in the pros to help shore up its security. [More]
Man Finds Himself In Jail After Drinking A Beer While In Traffic Next To A Marked Patrol Car
By 12.1.15
There are many things you could do that will land you behind bars, but a Florida driver found himself in the fast lane to that jail cell when police say he sat in traffic sipping a nice, cold beer. Which is bad enough, but it just so happens, his car was next to a marked “Orlando Police Department.” [More]
Jamaican Lottery Scammer Sentenced To U.S. Prison
By 11.25.15 — Updated: 2.23.17
The fraudulent lottery industry is huge in Jamaica, extracting hundreds of millions of dollars from the pockets of victims, who are mostly in the U.S. and mostly elderly. For the first time, someone involved in the industry has been tried and sentenced in a federal court in this country for selling lists of leads to current and aspiring scammers. [More]
Hide Your Stuff, Lock Your Car: Black Friday Is Also A Pretty Big Day For Thieves
By 11.25.15
Black Friday is not only a big day for shoppers, with stores throwing open their doors early (or staying open all night since they opened on Thanksgiving) and the mad marketing blitz of discounts, sales and deals coming at you from every angle, but it’s a pretty fruitful day for thieves, as well. [More]
No, Target Is Not Giving You A 50% Off Everything Coupon For Liking A Page On Facebook
By 11.24.15
We all want to believe that there are special coupons out there just waiting to be grabbed, and the newest questionable offer to take hold of Facebook newsfeeds involves the false promise of a coupon that will magically grant you 50% off anything at Target. [More]
Beer Truck Takes Instant Revenge On Alleged Thief By Running Him Over
By 11.23.15
If I’ve learned anything about inanimate objects from cartoons like The Brave Little Toaster, it’s that they have emotions and are totally dedicated to their humans, and will do anything to reunite with them in case of separation. Which is probably why a beer truck ran over a man accused of stealing it in Georgia recently. [More]
Reminder: There Are No Fees To Claim Your Prize When You Win The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes
By 11.23.15
The day has finally come — you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes! At least, that’s what the guy on the phone is telling you. But don’t send your thanks to the ghost of Ed McMahon just yet: if someone is telling you to fork over huge wads of cash in order to claim your prize from PCH, it’s a scam and you should hang up the phone and start hoping anew. [More]
Stolen School Bus Turns Vitamin Shoppe Into A Drive-Thru Store
By 11.19.15
It’s a very fortunate thing that Vitamin Shoppe isn’t open at 3:20 in the morning, after someone driving a stolen school bus crashed through the front of a Pennsylvania location, ending up completely inside the store. [More]
FTC Bans Wire Transfers, Reloadable Cash Cards, And Payment Orders In Phone Transactions
By 11.18.15
We’ve shared warnings about many different types of telemarketing scams, but they all have one thing in common: they extract money from their victims using quick and untraceable methods like wire transfers or prepaid debit cards. Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced an amendment to current telemarketing rules that’s meant to protect consumers from fraud over the phone lines. [More]
Reminder: A Legitimate Online Retailer Will Not Ask For Payment In Amazon Gift Cards
By 11.18.15
An online retailer that isn’t Amazon, yet who asks to be paid in Amazon gift cards? That might sound strange to practiced scam-spotters, but there are apparently shoppers who don’t find that idea suspicious. They should: gift cards don’t have the same fraud protections as credit or debit card payments. [More]
Man Facing Assault Charges For Allegedly Throwing Sandwich At A Fellow Restaurant Patron
By 11.17.15
Food fights are always hilarious in movies and on TV, but lest you get the urge to use your meal as a weapon against your fellow diner, take heed: you could end up facing assault charges if that brawl leads to police involvement. [More]
Please Stop Spreading Pyramid Schemes Around Facebook
By 11.16.15
Gift exchanges can be super fun: it’s great to receive a present that you didn’t anticipate at all. However, an attempt by either a well-meaning person or a gift-hogging trickster began on Facebook recently, and zapped quickly around the world. One scheme, called the “Secret Sisters Gift Exchange,” promises thirty-six gifts in your mailbox after you mail out only one, but reality doesn’t work that way. [More]
Those Gas Pump “Anti-Skimming” Stickers Are Really Just Pointless Decoration
By 11.16.15
More than four years ago, a number of gas stations in the U.S. started slapping stickers on gas pump credit card readers in an effort to cut down on illegal card skimmers that steal customers’ payment info. And almost immediately, these same gas stations showed they had no idea what to do with these stickers. A new report shows that not only do some companies not really care about these stickers, but that anyone can buy them. [More]
