Study finds that half of the world’s spam emails come from 20 ISP’s in Southeast Asia
FTC warns that if someone claims your social security number has been used IT IS A FRAUD
Spain and Italy arrest 106; bust Italian mafia group that was doing BEC and other frauds; laundered money for scams; operated from the Canary Islands
Fraud Studies: Here are links to the studies I’ve written for the Better Business Bureau: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, free trial offer frauds, job scams, online shopping fraud, fake check fraud and crypto scams
Fraud News Around the world
- New York: US Customs seizes record $1 billion in counterfeit goods in Manhattan
- Canada: Two Toronto area men, aged 18, arrested for grandparent fraud; went to victim’s home to pick up money
- Colorado: Man (Chinese?) arrested after he went to home of tech support fraud victim
- Texas effort against money mules resulted in 3000 actions last year, including warnings and prosecutions
- North Carolina: Lyft driver who was hired to pick up money from grandparent fraud victim foils crime
- South Dakota: Casino employee pays $350,000 to scammers claiming they were auditing casino; man who collected the money arrested
- Nigeria: EFCC arrests 132 for internet fraud
- New York state police in Schenectady arrest woman who went to home of victim to pick up money from grandparent fraud
- UK consumers lose £2300 every minute to online scammers
- Fraud victms that are used to carry drugs – and end up in jail
- Fake Postal Service web sites get as many visits as the actual site
- Hong Kong phone fraud complaints down a bit, but losses quadruple
- St. Louis: Three more indicted for laundering victim fraud funds
- UK: Which? finds 32% of the public has lost money to a Facebook Marketplace fraud in the last two years
- FCC identifies international robocalls entity Royal Tiger; hope to get international cooperation in addressing
- Oregon: Police arrest man for Facebook Marketplace fraud; sold and collected for a Bobcat machine he didn’t own
- North Carolina: Police arrest man who pretended to be bank investigator; arrested when he went to collect cashier’s checks
- Canada: Peel police arrest man who claimed to be with Chinese Interpol; arrested when he went to pick up money
- Toronto: Third man arrested in SIM swapping group
- Grand Rapids: Woman indicted for fraud scheme that impersonated the FBI and IRS; she pretended to be law enforcement and went to pick up money
- UK: Kent police arrest three, seize £300,000 in counterfeit goods
- AARP and MIT look at financial frauds against older people who have early onset dementia
- Man steals police cruiser and crashes into another one; all while wearing handcuffs
- Woman found living inside Michigan grocery store sign
- Police arrest two who had a career stealing shopping carts; took 140 worth $30,000 from a New Jersey grocery
- Judge blocks CFPB rule that requires reduction in late fees
- FTC sends $180,000 in refunds from Cycra, maker of ATV parts, over Made in the USA claims
- CFPB to send $384 million in refunds to victims of Think Achievement, who were overcharged on interest rates for loans
- FTC releases annual report of accomplishments
- Boston: Woman arrested for PPP fraud
- North Carolina: Man pleads guilty to PPP fraud; sought $3.6 million
- Spokane: Two plead guilty to PPP fraud; got $265,000
- Omaha: Man gets three years probation for PPP fraud; repays $154,000
- Boston: Bankrupt lender Kabbage agrees to pay $120 million for PPP fraud
- Philadelphia: Nigerian man gets four years prison for BEC fraud; got $1.1 million
- BEC fraud increasing 19% per year
- Hits Wichita, Kansas
- Attack on St. Louis Ascension hospital group
- Hits public schools of Rockford, Michigan
- Argentina: Two Chinese men and an Argentinean arrested for bitcoin investment fraud that took people for $100 million
- China: Six arrested for trading crypto for currency; handled $300 million