Another electronics store was taken for millions by an invoice-fixing scheme: a buyer for Best Buy and a vendor have been charged with overcharging Best Buy $31 million over four years.
crime
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Uses Liposuctioned Fat As Fuel For Car
By 12.30.08
And here’s number 16 on our grossest stories of 2008 list: an LA plastic surgeon is in trouble for powering his car with “lipodiesel” from his patients’ fat. Ewwww.
If Bank Of America Makes You Angry, Do Not Call 911 And Say The Bank Is Being Robbed
By 12.23.08
Here’s a suggestion for all of you who bank at Bank of America. If the bank makes you angry, do not try to get revenge by calling 911 and reporting a fake robbery in progress.
Criminal Complaint Against Embezzling Fry's VP Unsealed
By 12.23.08
Read the dirty details of the 26 page complaint against the Fry’s VP caught embezzling $65 million here. Post your favorite tidbits in the comments.
By 12.23.08
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Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was one of the biggest, but he’s got a lot of company. Here’s a list of the “9 Most Brazen Ponzi Schemes in History,” from Charles Ponzi (yep, that’s why we call it that) to Social Security. [Neatorama]
As The Economy Sinks, Shoplifting Arrests Soar!
By 12.23.08
The New York Times says that police departments all over the country are reporting an increase in shoplifting arrests — up to 20%.
Fry's VP Arrested For Embezzling $65 Million
By 12.23.08
A Fry’s VP was arrested last Friday for embezzling $65 million from the electronics retailer to fuel a gargantuan gambling lifestyle and feed his appetite for excess.
2 Dead In Toys 'R Us Black Friday Shooting
By 11.29.08
The floors of a Palm Desert, CA Toys R’ Us ran red on Black Friday after two gunslinging representatives from “two groups of individuals that have a dispute with each other” opened fire. [AP] (Thanks to Tim!)
Wal-Mart Employee Trampled To Death As Mob Tears Doors Off Hinges
By 11.28.08
The New York Times is reporting that a temporary employee of a suburban New York Walmart was trampled to death when a throng of shoppers tore down the front doors of the store and surged inside.
One Of Michael Vick's Expenses Is "Chump Change"
By 11.21.08
Michael Vick, the allegedly herpetic former NFL quarterback and dog lover, has filed paperwork detailing the decent into financial ruin that lead to his bankruptcy filing in July of this year. Vick blew through $17.7 million dollars in two years preceding his Chapter 11 petition. If that sounds like a lot of money in a short amount of time, consider the fact that Vick has been imprisoned since November 2007. For those of you looking for some insight into Vick’s attitude towards money, the Smoking Gun points out that one of his check memos reads, “chump change.”
IKEA Employee Steals $400,000 In Less Than A Year
By 11.21.08
An IKEA employee who worked in a Baltimore-area call center has plead guilty to stealing almost $400,000 in less than a year. His motivation? “Pure greed,” according to his confession.
Man Jailed After Letting His Girlfriend Eat Off Of His Plate
By 10.30.08 — Updated: 3.26.13
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that a man was jailed for two days after letting his girlfriend eat from his plate — and then refusing to pay for two $7 buffet meals.
Did Turkish Police Beat Information Out Of A Suspect In The TJ Maxx Credit Card Case?
By 10.24.08
Christopher Soghoian over at Cnet is reporting that Turkish police may have used violence to get the encryption keys of one of primary ringleaders in the TJ Maxx credit card theft investigation. The suspect, Maksym Yastremskiy, is apparently a “major figure in the international sale of stolen credit card information.”
Fun With Scammers: Golden Retriever Receives Check For $150,000
By 10.16.08
Congratulations! Your dog is rich! Oh wait, no. It’s a scam. Meet Bruce Gadansky of the Louisville BBB. He got an email from some internet scammers and decided to reply — as his dog. The email was from a “company” looking for help cashing a check.
FTC Busts Giant Spam Operation, Enlarges Penis
By 10.16.08
As part of their inquiry, FTC staff made undercover purchases from the sites. No one asked the clandestine buyers to provide verification of a prescription and the shipped drugs did not include doctors’ instructions or dosage information, officials said.
Walmart Sells You An Empty Box Instead Of A Laptop — But You Bought It With Stolen Credit Cards
By 10.14.08
You know how sometimes in football both teams will screw up on the same play and the penalties will offset? We’ve just found the fraud version of that situation. Three men brought a laptop computer box to Walmart and said that they’d been sold an empty box. Walmart thought they were being scammed, so they called the police. That’s when all hell broke loose.
TSA Screener Helped Himself To $200,000 Worth Of Your Stuff
By 10.14.08
Meet Pythias Brown. Until recently, he was a TSA screener at Newark airport, and if you’re missing any pricey electronics, you might have Mr. Brown to thank for it. He’s accused of stealing more than $200,000 worth of electronics, including a $47,000 camera from HBO. Oddly, it was CNN that helped bust the “one man crimewave” when an employee noticed some of their equipment being sold on eBay.
Buy Or Be Stabbed
By 10.11.08
The global economy is crashing, credit markets are playing ice age, and you consumers have a simple choice: buy things now or prepare to be stabbed next year.
