US files case to strip Nigerian man of US citizenship; was convicted head of stolen ID tax refund operation
FTC fraud data. I’ve covered the annual fraud data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and also data from Australia. I expected the FTC to release its compilation of fraud data for 2024, but I’ve not seen that. Sources report that even though the FTC has done this every year since 2008, it is not doing a fraud data book this year. Sad to see. Of course the FTC has its tableau site where one can find data, but it is not nearly as easy to get the big picture. In my view this is a loss for the public.
Reviews and recommendation” We went to see Operation Hail Mary, at a local movie theater -- and it is just excellent. Written by Andy Weir, author of The Martian, it is very much a crowd pleaser, with stellar reviews -- and no politics at all. Sure to be one of the best movies of the year. And its worth seeing it in a theater on a big screen.
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
- Wisconsin: Police arrest two men illegally in the US from India; victim had received call telling her she was to be arrested for child porn, needed to keep money safe; duo arrested when they came to pick up money
- India: Delhi police announce arrest of 1429 in 48 hours after raids on call centers and mule accounts
- Baton Rouge: Man pleads guilty to stealing US mail; used money mules; got $500,000
- Gold retailers warned of risk of lawsuits for selling gold to fraud victims
- Nigeria busts internet fraud “Yahoo academy;” arrest 31
- Tucson: Man found guilty of laundering $1 million for tech support scammers in India
- Georgia: Two men from India charged with fraud where they impersonated law enforcement and asked for money
- Boston: Ninth man charged with stealing and altering Treasury checks
- Analysis of the new UK fraud strategy
- Knoxville: Man (Nigerian?) gets 99 months prison for fraud where he claimed he needed legal expenses; follows other fraud convictions; took in $7 million
- Los Angeles: Two cousins plead guilty to nationwide fraud in short term rentals of properties
- Malta: Woman on trial for bank impersonation fraud that got €1 million
- Boston: Man arrested for large scale Ponzi scheme
- StubHub to refund $10 million to settle FTC case against deceptive fees on ticket sales
- FTC proposes new rule on online food delivery fees
- FTC settles with high level participant in several failed Multi-level marketing campaigns with making deceptive earnings claims
- FTC settles case with Publishers.com over deceptive earnings claims; to pay $1.5 million
- FTC sues three companies over deceptive Made in the USA claims
- DOJ announces enforcement actions in four states against those who stole PPP funds and social security benefits worth $260 million
- Colorado: Prison for two men (Nigerians?) over PPP and unemployment fraud; got more than $7.6 million
- Michigan: Man charged with $5 million in PPP fraud
- Boston: Retired sergeant with State Police pleads guilty to PPP fraud
- Buffalo: Man charged with PPP fraud
- Boston: Former VA employee charged with PPP fraud
- Minneapolis: Somali man on bail for $11 million Medicare fraud flees the country; Judge had not asked him to surrender passport
- Detroit: Man pleads guilty to PPP and unemployment fraud
- Scranton: Man gets 30 months prison for PPP fraud; got $350,000
- Virginia: Lobbying firm to return $400,000 in PPP funds it got by fraud
- Nigeria busts scam compound; frees nine from Ghana who had been kidnapped to work there
- Cambodia arrests 262 after raid on scam compound; began effort by seeking kidnapped Indians
- Cyprus business loses €93,000 to BEC fraud
- Tennessee: DOJ seizes $2.3 million in crypto from romance scam victim who was acting as a mule for a BEC scam
- Operation Atlantic group of UK, Canadian and US enforcers shut down crypto romance group funding; freeze $12 million
- DOJ announces refund process for victims of OneCoin fraud; online form to apply
- Ransomware gang claims attack on large bank in Venezuela
- Hits environmental law firm the Pear Group in San Francisco
- Takes down systems in Winona County, MN
- Attack on Massachusetts-based Signature health group steals tons of PII
- German man who had 74 warrants out on him arrested in Bangkok for ransomware activities
- Hits major video game producer Rockstar Games
- Schools closed for the second day after attack on Spring Lakes, Minnesota
- Ireland: Man prosecuted for romance fraud against European women who he took for €109 million
- Netherlands: Dutch company behind 1623 fake dating sites with fake profiles in 32 countries around the world