Check-altering criminal mastermind Frank Abagnale has five ways to lockdown your checking account and secure your identity. Check fraud isn’t an anachronistic threat like Communism. Determined thieves can easily use your checks to steal your cash and your identity. Here’s how to stop them…
crime
18-Year-Old Says He Hacked Comcast Because He's "Tired Of Their Shitty Service"
By 5.30.08
Here’s a technique we’ll not be adding to our list of fun ways to escalate your complaint: The 18-year-old who recently hacked Comcast and took down the company’s homepage and webmail told Wired that it was Comcast’s own fault… The hacker, known as EBK, called Comcast to let them know they’d been hacked. The manager scoffed and hung up:
Three Comcast Contract Workers Arrested For Torturing, Spray-Painting Kitten
By 5.30.08
Three Comcast contract workers were arrested when a witness discovered that a kitten had been spray-painted and nearly kicked to death, ABC 4 in West Valley, Utah reports. Jesus Villalovos was arrested for animal cruelty and obstruction of justice and 2 other men were cited with class B misdemeanors. The men were working in the area as contractors for Comcast around the time of the incident. Details, inside…
Keg Fraud: Busted For Puting Pricier Brand Labels On Cheaper Beer
By 5.23.08
If you bought a keg in Greensboro, NC you might have gotten some crappy beer with a more expensive label, says the News-Record. David Edward Essa, 34, and Robert Christopher Martin, 35 are charged with three counts of the delightful-sounding felony “obtaining money by false pretenses,” after placing more expensive brand names on cheaper beer.
Need $50? Call Crime Stoppers!
By 5.18.08
As those delicious morsels behind grocery store windows grow increasingly unaffordable, citizens become more willing to report their law-breaking neighbors to Crime Stoppers in exchange for rewards ranging from $50-$1,000. “Two or three arrests per week, you could make $700, $750 per week,” Sergeant Selfsaid. “You could make better than a minimum-wage job.”
Man Convicted Of Spending $3.2M In 3 Months Using Photocopied ID & SSN
By 5.9.08
According to 9 News in Denver, James Hartman was convicted and sentenced to 8 years in prison for spending $3.2 million on vehicles and land using his brother’s photocopied driver’s license and social security number. Investigators are still trying to understand how this man could do so much spending damage with virtually zero credentials. Details, inside…
Tim Horton's Fires Single Mom For Giving A Free Donut Hole To A Baby
By 5.8.08
We pause this blog to bring you a message from Canada: A single mother has been fired by the iconic Canadian donut chain Tim Horton’s for giving a free donut hole to a fussy baby. The chain said the worker was caught on video “stealing” the donut hole, which, in the mysterious Canadian language, is apparently called a “Timbit” and looks freaking delicious. Reader Chris, who alerted us to this story, explains: “It’s important to understand that Tim Horton’s is a Canadian national icon. That makes this story so much sadder.”
Dear Steve Jobs: FedEx Stole My Mom's Mother's Day iPod, Please Help!
By 5.7.08
Reader Matt CC’d us on this sad email to Steve Jobs. It seems that some #$!@#$ at FedEx stole his Mother’s Day gift right out of the box. Now he’s asking Steve Jobs to help him get the stolen iPod replaced in time for Mother’s Day.
Is The "Unbreakable Autolock" Actually Just "Gone In 60 Seconds?"
By 5.6.08
Reader Alan thought that installing the Unbreakable Autolock would give him some peace of mind and enhance his vehicle’s security. But those thoughts were quickly dashed when his Toyota Rav4 was stolen in the middle of the night. The device is supposed to immobilize the brake or clutch making a car impossible to drive. Alan did some research, and to his amazement, found a video of a young boy picking an identical lock in under a minute. The lock-pick video and his letter, inside…
By 5.6.08
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Target’s internal crime lab is overrun with requests from law enforcement agencies for its forensic video expertise. [Forbes]
Record High Prices Drive Police Officer Into Stealing Gas
By 5.5.08
This is ex-police officer, Craig Bucknor. KSLA reports that the Minden, Lousiana police officer has been arrested and is being charged with felony theft for stealing gasoline from the city. It seems no one is immune from the rising cost of gas. More details, inside…
Man Accused Of Gutting Computers, Returning Them To Best Buy So You Can Buy Them
By 5.1.08
Have you purchased a computer from Best Buy, only to find that it had no internal parts? No hard drive. No video card. No motherboard? If so, you (allegedly) have Joseph Denice of Silver Spring, MD to thank for your gutted PC. His hobby is buying computers from Best Buy, removing the parts, and then returning the empty shell. Best Buy’s employees would then put the computer husks back on store shelves where they would be repurchased by unwitting consumers such as… you.
Fake Credit Card Reader Found At California Grocery Store Linked To Thefts
By 4.30.08 — Updated: 10.25.12
A small California grocery store chain and its…
Wachovia Now Being Investigated For Drug Money Laundering
By 4.28.08
Wachovia, you old rascal! As soon as you wrap up one unsavory scandal, a new possible scandal comes to light. U.S. justice authorities are investigating the bank for possible money laundering through Mexican and Colombian money-transfer businesses. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that “the bank is possibly facing a deferred-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice that would subject it to ‘extensive federal oversight,'” but Wachovia denies that any such discussion has taken place.
McDonald's Employee Won't Let You Have It "Your Way" — Shoots You
By 4.24.08
The News On 6 in Tulsa, OK. reports that customer Jeff Cox was placed in intensive care after being shot by McDonald’s employee Erick Thurman at a Tulsa McDonald’s. The chain of unfortunate events began to unfold at approximately 2am on Sunday, April 13th. After waiting nearly an hour for her order, customer Makayla Hall returned to the drive-thru window to ask for a refund…
Pizza Hut Delivery Driver Fired For Shooting Armed Robber
By 4.22.08
A Pizza Hut delivery driver with a valid handgun permit has been fired after he shot an armed robber who put a gun to his head and demanded he turn over his cash. Now an Iowa state senator is calling for a boycott of Pizza Hut:
“You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would’ve reacted differently,” state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. “I think it’s the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products.”
Pizza Hut says it’s against company policy for delivery drivers to carry guns, even with a valid permit.
Postal Worker Steals Your New Credit Cards, Goes On Shopping Spree
By 4.22.08
Police have arrested Paul Hank, a distribution clerk at the Smithtown, NY post office, after he stole credit cards from the mail and went on a shopping spree, says Newsday
$25 Million Counterfeit Goods Ring Busted In NY-NJ
By 4.17.08
If you live in the NYC area, one thing you probably won’t be spending your stimulus check on now is a pair of shiny new fake Nikes—or ersatz Louis Vuittons, packs of imitation Duracell batteries, or faux-Timberland boots.
