If a payment processor — the intermediary between a merchant and the banks — facilitates transactions that it knows aren’t on the up-and-up, it’s not just a no-no; it’s a federal offense. Just ask the California man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud for enabling the operators of fake payday loan sites to steal money from consumers’ bank accounts. [More]
crime news
Food Companies Could Face Federal Criminal Charges Over Tainted Products
By 7.13.15
Between ice cream, smoothies, hummus, more ice cream, spinach, spinach ravioli, spinach lasagna, and caramel apples, we’ve seen a lot of recalls in recent months for tainted food — and that’s just listeria, one of many pathogens that could make you ill after eating. Now the U.S. Dept. of Justice is letting food producers know that poisoning consumers could result in more than just having to issue a few recalls. [More]
Iowa Supreme Court: You Have The Right To Be Drunk On Your Own Front Steps
By 6.12.15
Where do you draw the line between public and private spaces? Is being drunk on your personal front steps less of a public nuisance than if you were drunk on the stoop of an apartment building where you live with others? For the highest court in Iowa, the answer is yes. [More]
Scammer Convinces Tourists To Pay $409 For Free Staten Island Ferry Tickets
By 6.1.15
It costs a lot of money driving into New York City through the Hudson River tunnels or over the George Washington Bridge, and subways and cabs certainly aren’t free. So you can’t fault tourists who assume they have to pay to ride the free Staten Island Ferry — but more than $200 per ticket? [More]
FIFA Officials Arrested On Racketeering, Bribery, Money Laundering Charges
By 5.27.15
The world’s most prominent soccer organization has been rocked this morning with the arrest in Switzerland of multiple officials of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and several allied businesses on charges that include racketeering, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. The Justice Dept. claims the defendants have been enriching themselves through corruption for more than two decades. [More]
GM Could Face Criminal Charges Over Ignition Defect That Killed More Than 100
By 5.26.15
General Motors might be able to wriggle out of class action fraud lawsuits over the long-ignored ignition defect in multiple vehicles that ultimately killed more than 100 people, but the company could still face criminal charges from federal prosecutors. [More]
Cable Company Tech Arrested After Allegedly Grabbing, Shoving Customer
By 5.22.15
Cable company installation horror stories usually involve things like poorly run cords, maybe a dead gecko, gaping holes in walls, possibly having your house condemned, and the occasional tech who pees into a bag instead of in the bathroom. But a woman in Staten Island says a disagreement with her Time Warner Cable tech escalated to the point of him assaulting her in her house. [More]
Yes, You Can Be Prosecuted For Stealing Gold, Weapons From Video Game Characters
By 5.21.15
In the Big Bang Theory episode “The Zarnecki Incursion,” Sheldon’s World of Warcraft account is hacked and his in-game character is robbed of all its amassed treasure and weaponry. The local police and FBI both laugh off his demands to track down the virtual thief, but in the real world there are prosecutors going after this new form of criminal. [More]
ATM Debit Card Data Theft Is Up As Much As 317%
By 5.20.15
While retailers and payment networks work to cut down on data breaches in stores and online, it looks like fraudsters are relying more on stealing your card info at the ATM, as recent months have seen an unprecedented spike in the number of debit card data thefts from both non-bank and in-bank ATMs. [More]
Supreme Court Says Convicted Felons Have A Right To Sell Their Guns
By 5.18.15
Plenty of Americans legally own firearms. If any of them are later convicted of a felony (that isn’t related to the weapons) and can no longer own a gun, should they have the right to have some input on where their former firearms go? According to the U.S. Supreme Court, yes. [More]
IKEA Helps Out Senior Center After Robbers Steal All The Furniture
By 5.7.15
In February, residents of a recently opened senior center in Cincinnati found that their home hadn’t just been burgled — the thieves had made off with every piece of furniture and artwork in the lobby. While neither the purloined furnishings nor the ambitious burglars have been found, the folks at IKEA have decided to help out with some free stuff. [More]
Fake Waitress Steals Diner’s Credit Card, Goes On Spending Spree Next Door At Target
By 5.6.15
How many times have you put your credit card out to pay for a restaurant meal and had an employee other than your server pick it up? It’s not uncommon, especially in busier eateries, so some diners wouldn’t think twice when it happens. At least until the card hasn’t been returned because the helpful “waitress” who took it is actually at the Target across the parking lot making purchases with it? [More]
Cops Using GPS To Track Credit Card-Skimming Devices Back To Scammers
By 5.4.15
For years, we’ve been telling you about credit card skimming devices that collect the information on your card when you swipe at places like ATMs and gas pumps. The common-sense thing to do when finding a skimmer is to remove it. And while that prevents anyone else from being victimized, the scammers who hooked up the illegal device are rarely caught. That’s why some police are now leaving gas pump card skimmers in place but adding a GPS tracker to follow the skimmer back to its criminal creators. [More]
Stay Away Kids; This McDonald’s Is For Adults Only
By 4.28.15
The default setting for teenagers is “obnoxious,” and anyone who’s ever worked in fast food knows just how insufferable some adolescents can be when released into the wild without adult supervision. But are pre-adults so unmanageable that they have to be banned from entering a McDonald’s? [More]
McDonald’s Employee Caught On Camera Knocking Out Unruly Customer
By 4.27.15
An apparent attempt to remove an unruly customer from a Michigan McDonald’s resulted in a knockout punch from an employee at the fast food chain. [More]
Popeyes Manager Says She Was Fired For Refusing To Pay Back Money Stolen By Armed Robber
By 4.22.15
When a fast food eatery is held up, should the manager on duty be responsible for reimbursing the owner? Common sense might tell you “no,” but a former Popeyes employee claims that she was fired after she refused to pay her employer for the money stolen during her shift by an armed robber. [More]
Philadelphia Uber Driver Accused Of Rape
By 3.25.15
A woman in Philadelphia has accused a driver for ridesharing service Uber of raping her and holding her captive for hours in his car after the alleged assault. [More]
Contractor Steals Homeowners’ Valuables, Demands Cash For Their Return
By 3.20.15
It’s certainly not unheard of to have your things stolen by workers with access to your home, but most of them don’t have the gall to justify their theft by saying the victim should pay a ransom because the thief’s boss doesn’t pay them enough. [More]
