Swiss bank UBS, which has “admitted conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and agreed to pay $780 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation into its activities,” has agreed to release the names of Americans who have been secreting away cash in UBS’ fabled Swiss bank accounts. The U.S. Justice Department has been investigating about 19,000 accounts, but the New York Times says the bank may only release a couple hundred names. Update: Now the IRS has asked a judge to demand that UBS turn over the names of around 52,000 clients. UBS says it will “vigorously challenge” the new request.
crime
By 2.19.09
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More information about the Stanford International Bank fraud case, including, but not limited to: a bank panic in Venezuela, hugs from Nancy Pelosi, allegations of money laundering for drug cartels, and predictable vows to “fight with every breath to continue to uphold our good name and continue the legacy we have built together.” Still no word on where the $8 billion went. [Forbes]
Dunkin Donuts Guy Slashes Your Tires Because You Didn't Wait For Your Coffee
By 2.19.09
Here’s something that you don’t often see — a Dunkin Donuts employee got so mad at a guy who decided not to wait for his coffee (because it was taking too long) that he left the store, pulled out a folding knife, and slashed the customer’s tires. All. Four. Of. Them.
SEC Charges Texas Businessman With $8 Billion Fraud
By 2.17.09
The SEC has charged Robert Allen Stanford, a prominent Texas businessman, in connection with an $8 billion fraud in the sale of so-called certificates of deposit that promised unrealistic rates of return. Stanford guaranteed fixed-income investments by “promising improbable and unsubstantiated high interest rates,” according to a statement by the SEC.
Embezzling Fry's VP Once Gambled Away $8 Million In ONE DAY
By 2.17.09
The LA Times is reporting that former Fry’s executive and accused embezzler, Omar Siddiqui, once gambled away $8 million in a single day. According to the IRS, Mr. Siddiqui financed his gambling by taking at least $65.6 million in kickbacks from Fry’s suppliers. He’s been charged with money laundering and fraud, and if convicted, he faces 140 years in prison.
Three Men Arrested In Heartland Data Breach For Using Fake Visa Gift Cards
By 2.15.09
The U.S. Secret Service has arrested three men in Florida on “hundreds of counts of credit card fraud” for using fake gift cards imprinted with account info stolen from Heartland Payment Systems last year. The Secret Service still thinks an Eastern European group is behind the Heartland breach, and that the Florida guys are smaller-time crooks who most likely purchased a subset of the stolen data.
By 2.14.09
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Thieves stole all the roses—400 of them—from an Ohio florist yesterday, as well as the vases, the decorations, and the computer. [Associated Press] (Photo: tillwe)
Missing iPhone Back In Reader's Hands
By 2.14.09
Got the iPhone back now and went to the AT&T store and now activating it via iTunes. Phone seems to be working just the pictures in the camera roll were deleted along with recent calls.
Missing iPhone Mystery Solved By Consumerist Readers In 55 Minutes
By 2.13.09
Wow, that was impressive! In less than one hour after we posted about Dino’s dad’s lost iPhone, Consumerist readers were able to locate his Facebook and Hi5 accounts, track down his name and home address, and even get him to respond via email—something Dino and his dad weren’t able to do yesterday. Dino just wrote us and said “Michael Smith/Emerson” contacted him and promised to return the phone tomorrow.
Update: the phone has been returned!
Thefts At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Have Doubled Since 2003
By 2.12.09
If you’re looking to start or end a vacation with having something stolen from your luggage, D/FW Airport is a good place to go. At least that’s the impression you get when you look at the rising number of reported thefts over the past 5 years.
FBI Raids Salmonella Peanut Butter Plant
By 2.10.09
FBI agents raided the Georgia plant suspected in the current salmonella peanut butter outbreak that has been linked to 600 illnesses and eight deaths in 43 states. The company is accused of knowingly shipping the tainted products.
Best Buy Employee Arrested For Stealing Credit Cards
By 2.10.09
Uh oh, another Best Buy employee has been caught swiping data from customers. Unlike the woman last August who went on small time shopping sprees, this woman was caught using a card reader to swipe and store info on as many as 4,000 customers at the Best Buy store located at 1880 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd in Palm Beach, Florida.
Landlords Drop Demands For Murdered Woman To Pay Back Rent
By 2.6.09
The landlords that sent a demand for unpaid rent and citing “insufficient notice to vacate” to the estate of a mother who was murdered in a Christmas kill-spree say they will not go after the rest of the rent after all. They say the request for payment was just the management company’s standard procedure and they didn’t know the woman was a murder-victim.
MySpace Kicks Off 90,000 Registered Sex Offenders
By 2.5.09
This revelation is totally appalling and unacceptable, and this shocking revelation, resulting from our subpoena, also provides compelling proof that social networking sites remain ripe with sexual predators.”
Woman Sues McDonald's For Serving Cleaning Liquid Instead Of Iced Tea
By 2.5.09
A Baltimore woman is suing McDonald’s for negligence, after she says they served her a cup of kitchen equipment sanitizer instead of iced tea.
Landlord Orders Ex-Husband To Pay Murdered Wife's Rent
By 2.5.09
The ex-husband of a woman who was murdered at a Christmas party along with 8 other people has been ordered by her landlord to pay her rent. The landlord says she gave insufficient notice to vacate the premises, and broke her lease. Apparently they require 60 days notice before being shot dead by your sister’s ex-husband in a Santa suit.
Kevin Bacon, Sandy Koufax, Mets Owners All Got Screwed By Madoff
By 2.5.09
A court filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan made public a 162-page document listing his various clients, which include Hall of Fame Pitcher Sandy Koufax, actor Kevin Bacon, and the Wilpon family, owners of the New York Mets.
My iPhone Got Jacked At Gunpoint – Help!
By 2.5.09
Reader Dan says he was walking home last night and got robbed at gunpoint, losing his iPhone, which he only got five days ago, in the process. He asks, “Any tips from you or readers? Can it be tracked using the onboard gps? This STINKS!”
