When Bob Harte took his two young kids shopping with him at an organic gardening store in Kansas City, Missouri, he had no idea that he had inadvertently set in motion a series of events that would — eight months later — lead to the Harte family watching helplessly as armed sheriff’s deputies searched every corner of their house for nonexistent evidence of a marijuana grow operation. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Please Do Not Buy Counterfeit Solar Eclipse Glasses
By 7.28.17 — Updated: 7.30.17
There’s a total solar eclipse coming across much of the country on Aug. 21, which will be amazing to watch. However, use caution, and make sure not to risk your eyesight to see it. Not only should you wear special eclipse-viewing glasses when you look at the sun, but you should make sure that those glasses aren’t counterfeit. [More]
Victims Of Mortgage Modification Scam Lost More Than Their Homes
By 7.27.17
Each year, fraudsters target vulnerable, trusting Americans by claiming that they can make their lives better. But when all the chips have fallen, these seemingly legit businesses often turn out to be just the opposite. While some of these operations will face the wrath of federal or state regulators, their victims are often left with little. [More]
Here’s A Gas Pump Skimmer That Texts Victims’ Card Data To Crooks
By 7.27.17
For the crooks operating skimmers on gas pumps, ATMs, or retail credit card terminals, an important part of their business model is getting the data from the devices. One way around this problem is to integrate a SIM card and have the device send text messages with the freshest payment card numbers. For the first time, such a device was found inside a gas pump. [More]
Good News From The IRS: Tax Refund Identity Theft Is Way Down This Year
By 7.26.17
This tax season, you may remember Consumerist reminding you to file as early as possible, especially if you were expecting a refund or receiving certain tax credits aimed at lower-income Americans. New anti-fraud measures taken by the Internal Revenue Service and better awareness of the problem have apparently helped: The IRS reports that tax refund fraud has decreased. [More]
Was The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7 Premiere Really Pirated A Whopping 90M Times?
By 7.21.17
It is not news that people have been illegally watching the season 7 premiere of Game of Thrones — by this point, we pretty much expect that one of the most-pirated shows on TV will be, well, pirated. But one report claims that the first episode of this final season has been pirated a whopping 90 million times since it aired last Sunday. [More]
If You Use Services Like Venmo For The Wrong Purpose, You Could Lose Money
By 7.20.17
There are a plethora of peer-to-peer payment options on the market, think Venmo, Facebook Payments, or Square Cash. Each offer users an easy, convenient way to transfer money between people, but many have very specific intended uses; some are for paying your friends, others are for buying goods or paying for services. Some can be used for both, but may require different accounts. It’s important to know the difference, lest you become the latest victim of a scam or simply become shut out from your account. [More]
DOJ Shuts Down Online ‘Dark Market’ Peddling Opioids, Guns, & Hacking Tools
By 7.20.17
The world of criminal marketplaces selling deadly drugs, counterfeit products, malware, and weapons just got a bit smaller: The Department of Justice says it’s shut down AlphaBay, what it calls the largest online “dark market.”
[More]
Some Ford Fusions Come Equipped With Airbags, Seatbelts, & Tire Compartments Full Of Marijuana
By 7.17.17
Imagine buying a new vehicle, running over a nail, and pulling over to exchange the now-deflated tire with the spare kept in your trunk. But once you reach the tire compartment, you don’t find a tire at all, but a large tan package of marijuana. That could have been the case for the eventual owners of 15 Ford Fusion vehicles in Ohio.
[More]
Debt Collector Allegedly Threatened Lawsuits, Arrests Against People Who Didn’t Owe Anything
By 7.17.17
Once again, federal regulators are cracking down on companies running “phantom” debt collection schemes that go after individuals for money they did not actually owe. This time, the Federal Trade Commission shut down an operation that collected more than $690,000 in fake debts by threatening consumers with lawsuits or arrests. [More]
Healthcare Fraud Crackdown Leads To Charges Against Hundreds, Including Doctors and Nurses
By 7.14.17
More than 412 individuals were charged for their part in healthcare fraud schemes that have resulted in approximately $1.3 billion in losses to consumers and the government. [More]
Woman Arrested Waiting In Walmart Checkout After Police Pull Baby From Locked Hot Car
By 7.12.17
A Ohio woman was arrested while waiting in the checkout line at a local Walmart after police say they rescued her five-month-old from her vehicle in the parking lot. [More]
It’s Still Legal To Shackle Pregnant Inmates, But Some Lawmakers Want That To Change
By 7.12.17
In an effort to ensure that women in prison are treated like human beings — and reduce the negative impact incarceration has on their families, especially their kids — a group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would make a series of reforms to how the federal prison system handles female prisoners. [More]
Here Are The 14 Trump Hotels Affected By Company’s Latest Hack Attack & What You Can Do About It
By 7.12.17
Marking the third such breach in the last two years, Trump Hotels notified guests this week that 14 of its properties have been affected by a hack attack, exposing guests’ full names, emails, addresses, and credit card information, including expiration dates. Here’s what you need to know. [More]
If The Deal Never Ends, Is It Really A Deal?
By 7.10.17
The thing about getting a good deal on something? It only feels special if it’s limited in some way — whether that means only a certain set of customers has access to it, or it’s only available for a window in time. To that end, some LensCrafters customers claim proffered discounts on prescription eyewear are bogus, accusing the chain of faking a regular/original price and then offering a so-called discount. [More]
Why Does The U.S. Government Sue Inanimate Objects?
By 7.6.17
When Justice Department went after Mesopotamian artifacts imported by Hobby Lobby, the lawsuit was actually filed against the ancient clay artifacts and not the retailer. Likewise, when the government determined that a Las Vegas casino had too much gold, it arrested and sued a solid gold rooster statue. Though they don’t always make headlines, such cases have a long, sometimes hilarious, history in U.S. law. [More]
Hobby Lobby Agrees To Turn Over Thousands Of Ancient Iraqi Artifacts That Were Smuggled Into U.S.
By 7.5.17 — Updated: 7.6.17
Hobby Lobby — home to glitter glue, crepe paper, and distress paint — was also apparently in the business of acquiring ancient Mesopotamian relics. However, the crafty retailer says it didn’t quite understand all the ins and outs of the whole “importing artifacts from Iraq” process and has agreed to forfeit thousands of items, including clay cuneiform tablets, that the federal government says were smuggled into the country. [More]
Mail Carrier Admits To Taking Bribes To Deliver Drugs Along Her Route
By 7.5.17
The Mail Carrier Hall Of Shame has a new inductee: A USPS worker in Florida has admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for delivering marijuana to a man named “Steve” along her route. [More]
