Usually when you see signs reminding people of penalties for crimes, it’s because a particular offense carries with it a harsher-than-usual penalty — “Fines Doubled In Work Zone,” “Assaulting a Transit Employee is a Felony,” “Failure to Follow Cabin Crew’s Instructions May Result in Arrest”… that kind of thing. But the wording on one sign in Louisiana makes us wonder how little the folks of that state value taxi drivers. [More]
crime news
Hamburglars Rob McDonald’s, Caught After Crashing Into Mayor
By 3.12.14
In a scenario that any number of Happy Meal-raised kids played out with cheap plastic McDonald’s toys on their living room carpet, a robbery attempt at an Illinois Golden Arches was thwarted when the robbers crashed into the mayor’s car. [More]
Bank Robbery Foiled When Teller Asks For ID
By 3.6.14
A man who might be the least-effective bank robber on the planet should consider another line of work after his hold-up attempt ground to a halt when the teller demanded a copy of his photo ID. [More]
Police Don’t Respond To Car Dealership Break-In Because Of $45 Permit Fee
By 3.5.14
If you spend the money to put in an alarm system on your home or business, make sure you check with your local police and fire departments to make sure there isn’t some sort of fee and/or permit required. Otherwise, you could be like the Kansas City car dealer who watched a break-in attempt live on his phone while police ignored the alarm. [More]
Driver Arrested Because A Short Rib Recipe Is Not A Vehicle Inspection Sticker
By 3.3.14
Most people don’t really like getting their cars inspected, and some people deliberately avoid getting an inspection because they know their vehicles won’t pass muster. Unfortunately for those folks, having a fake inspection sticker on the windshield can get them arrested. [More]
If You’re Wanted By The Police, Don’t Call 911 To Complain About Burger King Order
By 2.24.14
You know all those crime shows where nogoodniks refuse to go to the hospital when hurt or contact the police when robbed because they are dodging arrest warrants? Those people are brilliant compared to the woman in Pennsylvania who called 911 about her bad Burger King experience without thinking about how she is wanted in another state. [More]
Burglar Steals Sound System, Returns 30 Mins. Later To Grab Remote
By 2.20.14
Have you ever packed for a big road trip, gotten everyone into the car and then realized a short while later that you forgot something stupid like a phone charger or your contact lenses? This story is basically the petty criminal version of that head-slapping moment. [More]
Arrest Warrant Issued For “Cash Grant Institute” Scammer Who Failed To Pay $20 Million Penalty
By 2.20.14
Nearly two years after the FTC hit the scammy robocallers at the “Cash Grant Institute” with a record $30 million penalty for violating federal Do Not Call regulations a few million times, a judge has issued an arrest warrant for one of the scheme’s operators after he failed to repay the lion’s share of what he’d agreed to hand over. [More]
Millions Of Credit Cards Stolen From Target Being Sold At Closeout Prices
By 2.20.14
Like scalpers who drop their asking prices as game time approaches, black market sellers of credit card numbers stolen during last December’s massive data breach at Target are now offering this ill-gotten information at rock-bottom prices. [More]
If You’re Going To Be Arrested, Don’t Let It Be For Failing To Return J.Lo’s ‘Monster-In-Law’
By 2.17.14
Theft is theft, even it’s not returning a VHS copy of a middling Jennifer Lopez/Jane Fonda romantic comedy to the video, and even if it’s been nearly nine years since you rented it. [More]
Kickstarter Apologizes For Hack; Asks Users To Reset Passwords
February 17, 2014
Since it announced on Saturday evening that its user database had been hacked — giving cybercriminals access to some personal information for its users — crowdfunding website Kickstarter says it has received thousands of queries from users with questions about the incident. [More]
‘Dead Rising’ Comes To Life As Chainsaw-Wielding Man Robs Store While Wearing Flower Pot Helmet
By 2.12.14
I can’t tell you the hours I’ve spent chainsawing paths through hordes of undead, or bashing them over the head with flower pots, in Dead Rising on my Xbox, but I never imagined that someone would manage to make this over-the-top game a reality by combining the two objects and using them in the robbery of a convenience store. [More]
Don’t Ask The Teen Taco Bell Employee To Hold On To Your Bottle Of Booze Until Tomorrow
By 2.12.14
There’s asking a fast food employee to do you a minor favor — like asking for extra condiments or having a dirty booth wiped down — and then there’s asking that employee to do something against the law — like stashing your bottle of booze in the eatery’s fridge for a day or so. [More]
Teen Scams Walmarts Out Of $30,000 By Pretending To Be Manager From Another Walmart
By 2.10.14
I once knew a guy who said that with the right outfit and enough confidence, you can get through any door. Looks like a 17-year-old in Oklahoma took that lesson to heart, walking into multiple area Walmarts and walking out with wads of cash in his pocket. [More]
“Operation Angry Birds” Rescues 3,000 Cockfighting Contenders
By 2.10.14
When you think of a coordinated law enforcement effort that involves simultaneous takedowns of three illegal operations in three different counties, you might assume it involved narcotics or human trafficking or terrorist cells. But New York state’s Operation Angry Birds had a truly fowl target in mind. [More]
Trio Convicted Of Running Fake Nursing Schools
By 2.7.14
When you scam wannabe nurses out of more than a million dollars by selling them a fake education, you have to expect you’ll get caught at some point. But that didn’t stop three women in New York from operating a number of bogus nursing school programs in NYC and Long Island. [More]
Target HVAC Vendor Provides Info On Connection To Data Breach
By 2.7.14
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the hackers behind the massive breach of Target’s in-store payment system were able to access the retailer’s network through one of its heating, cooling and ventilation vendors. That company is now providing more information about the attack. [More]
Home Depot Employees Arrested For Stealing Personal Information Of 300 Co-Workers
By 2.6.14
Of all the people at your workplace that you’d hope would not violate employees’ trust by stealing their personal information and using it for illicit gain, it would probably be the folks in corporate human resources. But you’d be wrong, at least in the case of the three Home Depot HR staffers who have been arrested for allegedly stealing co-workers’ information to open bogus credit card accounts. [More]
