Maryland: Former tax preparer gets 30 months prison for stolen identity refund fraud

 

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Baker Fraud Report – News you can use Top Stories   Better Business Bureau updates study on lottery/sweepstakes scams US Ambassador to Jamaica says US loses $500 million - $1 billion each year to Jamaican lottery scammers Complaint numbers down last year, but losses reported increase dramatically; may be 35% increase Scammers took advantage of the pandemic 72% of victims are over 55; scammers target older victims Looks at why victims keep sending money; it is not just the old and frail 60 second BBB PSA CBS aired a piece  800 arrested by FBI/ DEA Australia/ Europol in takedown of encrypted communications used by criminals Used by Italian OC; motorcycle gangs, drug gangs Used by 300 gangs 700 house searches Seize 8 tons cocaine; 22 tons cannabis FBI release on this effort Robocalls are down in the US over the last year   Cleveland, Ohio:  Woman from Latvia charged with fraud for installing Trickbot malware used by ransomware fraudsters; infected tens of millions of computers   Australians lost a record $851 million to scams in 2020; largest losses investment scams; followed by romance fraud; BEC third    US seizes most of the ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline   New York: Australian man pleads guilty over scheme to send text messages about celebrities, horoscopes, and charging millions in fees victims had not agreed to; forfeits over $10 million     Reviews and Recommendations:  Broken Windows, by James Q. Wilson.  The authors found that if one window is broken in a building the public concludes no one really cares, and the others are quickly shattered as well.   The same idea holds true for Disney World; when litter is quickly picked up, people litter far less. This also applies to crime; where minor crime issues are addressed there is far less overall crime. Here are links to some of the study topics: puppy fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, apartment rental, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud and gift cards. Coronavirus Germany sets up a special team to deal with forged vaccination documents Wisconsin: Pharmacist gets three years for spoiling vaccines used at hospitals Fraud News From Around the world Boston Globe: Huge increase in puppy scams during the pandemic UK reports Millennials are more likely to be victims of online scams Nigeria arrests 11 for internet fraud Pennsylvania: Jury convicts woman of fraud; targeted deaf and elderly in lottery and fake grant scams AARP warns of car wrap scams Scammers posing as friends on Whats App, asking for the security code sent by text message, and hijacking the accounts Apple App store teeming with scams Mississippi: Man pleads guilty to conspiracy over tech support scam; was one of ten defendants; opened local business on behalf of scammers EFCC in Nigeria arrests 53 in Lagos for internet fraud; arrest 59 in other provinces 13% of Irish consumers have been conned into buying counterfeit goods online US Postal Inspection Service budget request to Congress New UK academic study criticizes Action Fraud and police for not doing more to fight scams UK sees 25% spike in internet searches trying to find out where to report online scams during the pandemic India arrests 11 from China over multilevel marketing pyramid scheme; more than a million victims Ireland arrests two more for money mule scam Humor Neighbor shoots up couple’s home over not being invited to game night US troops accidentally storm olive oil factory in Bulgaria Satire: Lego introduces sharper bricks that kill you when you step on them New York Times publishes and then deletes claim that watermelons were found on Mars Coast Guard helicopter rescues three floating on inflatable pink flamingo FTC and CFPB   House subcommittee advances new law to restore FTC 13b authority FTC sending $172 million in refunds to victims of rent to own company Progressive Leasing FTC settles with MoviePass; could not be used as claimed; privacy issues Virus Benefit Theft Virginia business settles civil case with DOJ over PPP loans Owner of Pennsylvania trucking company charged with PPP fraud Kentucky woman indicted over PPP and EIDL loan fraud Two in Colorado indicted for virus loan fraud Dozens have been arrested in Virginia for fraud in unemployment benefits Sacramento, California: Two arrested for fraud in unemployment benefits New York: Man pleads guilty to theft of $141,000 in unemployment benefits; sentenced to prison Nashville: Woman charged with PPP and other frauds Oregon: Man pleads guilty to EIDL and PPP fraud Business Email compromise fraud (read BBB study) Australia finds BEC most expensive scam against business; cost $128 million last year New Agari study looks at credential-stealing sites used to get email logins to further BEC fraud Social Media Nigerian government closes down Twitter Ransomware Disrupts ferry to Martha’s Vineyard Attack on servers of Fujifilm FBI says REvil ransomware from Russia did the JBS meat packing attack Hits Cox Media, which owns TV and radio stations across the U.S. Attack on phone vendor used by US Congress Data Breaches Appeals court upholds $1.4 billion Equifax breach settlement IRS and tax frauds Maryland: Former tax preparer gets 30 months prison for stolen identity refund fraud New Jersey man pleads guilty to laundering money; fake Treasury refund checks deposited into bank accounts he opened with a fake passport; money withdrawn and sent to “West Africa;” $450,000 lost Kansas City: Four men, three of them Russians, indicted for stolen identity refund fraud; got over $2 million; much of that went to Russia ATM skimming Man arrested for skimming in South Africa Jamaica and Lottery Fraud (read BBB lottery fraud study) Jamaica arrests lottery scammer wanted for extradition to the US since 2015 Jamaica arrests five for lottery fraud Romance Fraud and Sextortion (read BBB romance fraud study) Ohio: Man pleads guilty to laundering $2.4 million from romance fraud victims; money to Ghana; also guilty to EIDL virus benefit fraud while out of jail awaiting trial Florida: Secret Service finds bitcoin wallet that got $118 million from romance fraud victims Cosmopolitan Magazine: How I saved my grandmother from a romance fraud People: Peggy Twohig and Bryan Schneider leaving the CFPB