You just found out your credit or debit card info has been used by someone else to make a fraudulent purchase. There are so many different people you can call, each involved in some aspect of this theft. There’s your bank that issued the card, the credit card network the issuer uses for that card, the retailer or website that processed the payment, the police, the FBI… Do you need to call all of these or just one or two? What if you think your incident might be a sign of a larger breach? [More]
fraud
Did Wells Fargo Target Seniors? Lawmakers Want To Find Out
By 9.27.16 — Updated: 9.30.16
We’ve said it countless times: those who attempt – and often succeed – at scamming senior citizens of their savings are among the worst of the worst. Now lawmakers want to know if the Wells Fargo employees who created millions of unauthorized accounts were preying upon vulnerable senior citizen customers. [More]
State, Federal Agencies Crack Down On Companies That Allegedly Facilitate Mail Fraud Of Elderly
By 9.22.16
Each year, millions of elderly consumers are lured into mail fraud schemes by all-too-attractive claims that they have won unimaginable prizes, like millions of dollars or trips around the world. Today, the U.S. Department of Justice took unprecedented steps to ensure these scammers no longer victimize older Americans by announcing action against companies that they allege are some of the little-known perpetrators of the alleged schemes: the payment processor, mailer printers, and lead generators.
Man Accused Of Using Phone Dating Services To Scam Women… Again
By 9.12.16
A New Jersey man who was previously convicted of using telephone dating services to scam women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been accused of doing pretty much the same thing while he was on probation for the first scheme. [More]
Volkswagen Engineer Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy Related To Dieselgate
By 9.9.16
Volkswagen’s year-long “dirty diesel” saga nabbed its first Volks-villain on Friday, when a veteran engineer for the carmaker pleaded guilty in the first criminal charge related to the VW’s use of so-called “defeat devices” in millions of vehicles in order to skirt federal emissions regulations. [More]
Interpol Nabs Accused Kingpin Of $60M Global Email Scam In Nigeria
By 8.1.16
Fighting spam scammers might sometimes seem like a pointless game of Whac-A-Mole, but international law enforcement authorities say they have bopped one particularly large mole on the head by arresting the alleged ringleader of a global email scam ring that swindled $60 million from its victims. [More]
Dept. Of Justice Claims ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Was Financed With Stolen Money
By 7.21.16
It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie starring, perhaps, Leonardo DiCaprio, and yet it’s real life: the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit this week claiming that fraudsters stole $3.5 billion from the Malaysian people, and moved some of that money through U.S. banks to buy luxury hotels, yachts, a jet, and to produce the movie The Wolf Of Wall Street. [More]
Three States Accuse Volkswagen Of Committing Fraud
By 7.19.16
When Volkswagen admitted to rigging millions of supposedly “clean diesel” vehicles to cheat on emissions tests, the carmaker claimed that only a few engineers knew these “defeat devices” were in place. However, new lawsuits filed by three states allege that VW execs knew of the chicanery, and that the car company was committing fraud for nearly a decade. [More]
Former Macy’s Employee Pleads Guilty To $3.5M Mail Fraud, Kickback Scheme
By 7.12.16
A Florida man could spend up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to taking part in a million-dollar, years-long shipping and kickback scheme involving his former employer Macy’s. [More]
Card Reissued Because Of A Breach? Good Luck Finding Out Where The Hack Happened
By 4.27.16
When a massive data breach happens at a retailer like Target or Home Depot, there’s little mystery as to why your bank is rushing you a new credit or debit card. But when your card is being replaced because of a lower-profile cybercrime, the odds are against you ever finding out why. [More]
Can A Cashier Make Me Read My 3-Digit Credit Card Code In Front Of Other Shoppers?
By 4.15.16
Your credit card has a 16-digit number on the front, plus an expiration date, and another three-digit code on the back. We all know in a vague way that the code on the back (also known as the “CVC” or “CVV”) has something to do with making transactions safer or reducing fraud, but other than that we don’t give it much thought — and while we might expect to have to share that number when shopping online, we certainly don’t expect to be asked to read it out loud when making an in-person purchase at a crowded coffee shop. [More]
Pennsylvania Man Charged With Racketeering For $688M Payday Loan Operation
By 4.7.16
A Pennsylvania man, known for helping to usher in the payday loan movement, has been charged with racketeering for his alleged part in a scheme that bilked more than $688 million from consumers and defrauded 1,400 others from a million-dollar settlement. [More]
Massachusetts Sues ITT Technical Institute For Allegedly Harassing, Misleading Students
By 4.4.16
Trouble continues to mount for ITT Educational Services. The for-profit college operator behind the ITT Technical Institute chain is already under investigation over concerns it may have defrauded the federal government, and now faces a lawsuit from the Massachusetts Attorney General for allegedly engaging in a slew of abusive and misleading practices. [More]
Hot Lotto Says Employee Fraud Didn’t Necessarily Affect Next Winner’s Prize
By 3.31.16
Last year, the man who used to be in charge of security for the Multi-State Lottery Assocation was convicted of rigging one of his employer’s games and buying himself the winning ticket. The winner of the next jackpot sued the Association, arguing that his own prize would have been bigger if the fraudulent win hadn’t happened. Is that true? The lottery group argues that it’s not. [More]
Whistleblower Lawsuit Claims University Of Phoenix Defrauded The Federal Government
By 3.9.16
You can now add the University of Phoenix and its parent company, Apollo Education Group, to the list of for-profit educators who find themselves on the defendant end of a whistleblower lawsuit. A former Phoenix employee is accusing the company of submitting false student aid information in order to receive federal funding it was not entitled to. [More]
Identity Theft Victim Confronts Alleged Scammer
By 3.8.16
There’s an episode of Friends in which Monica’s identity is stolen and she goes on to become best friends with the woman posing as Monica Geller, you know, before she goes to jail. Things didn’t so quite the same for a Los Angeles woman who says she confronted a couple she alleges used her identity to open credit card accounts and file income tax returns. [More]
New Credit Card Rules May Make It Difficult To Purchase Gift Cards
By 3.8.16
If you recently tried to purchase a gift card and were told you had to use cash or had to stick to a smaller denomination, you’re not alone. The way in which retailers sell gift cards has changed in the five months since new credit card rules went into effect. [More]
Inspectors In Massachusetts Combing Gas Stations, Other Card Readers For Skimmers
By 3.4.16
Look out when you’re on the road: police and state standards agencies have noticed a scary trend near highways in New England. Bluetooth card skimmers are appearing on gas pumps and ATMs in New England, slurping up customers’ payment data and beaming it to thieves who may be sitting just around the corner. [More]
