Fraud Studies. Over the next few weeks I’m going to revisit and highlight some of the studies I did over the last few years. Most of the essential information about them and how they operate remains equally true today, but I’ll note where significant things have changed.
I. Crooked Movers. When planning a move many people just get on line and look for someone local with a great price. Crooks will give you a great price over the phone without first actually looking at what you have. Honest movers will want to see the goods in person. So after the crooks appear and load up they will announce that the price has dramatically increased – and must be paid in cash. Or they arrive at the new place and demand more money before they unload. And if you don’t or can’t pay they simply drive away with your goods. Recently a Kansas warehouse has been trying to reach out and return the goodsof hundreds of people. So take a look at my study if you are planning a move:
Two tips: use a major company (its worth it), and in ANY move put an Airtag in your goods so you can track where they are.
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
- Austin: Jury convicts fourth man from India in charge of coordinating money laundering back to India; directly involved with $150 million
- District of Columbia: Two people, one here illegally from the Ivory Coast, charged in scheme that used ID theft to get hundreds of apartment leases; didn’t pay rent themselves but subleased and kept the funds
- Albany: Law enforcement arrests 15 member of gang Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation for massive fraud that stole checks and did bank fraud
- Fresno: Chinese man pleads guilty to laundering money to India for government impersonation frauds; handled $597,000
- Malaysia arrests 17 foreign nationals at call center targeting Japan
- Kansas City: Four charged in scheme that stole and altered checks
FTC and CFPB
- FTC, Nevada and Utah sue Lens.com for deceptive prices on online sales; added large tax and fees to price, often doubling cost
- FTC settles with Martial Arts company over deceptive claims and violations of the Franchise Rule; to pay $1.85 million
- FTC sends $100,000 in refunds to victims of online seller GOAT over false claims about refund and shipping policies
- Detroit: Three get collective 265 months prison for fraudulent student loan applications and PPP fraud; got $16 million
- Illinois: Man gets 18 months prison for PPP fraud; got $312,000
- Boston: “John Doe” who was using ID of illegal alien indicted for theft of food stamps and other benefits
- Kansas City: Woman indicted for PPP fraud; also fraud that sought to forgive her student loan
- Albany: Woman indicted for social security and state pension fraud for benefits paid long after her mother died in 2009; got $668,000
- Boston: Man (Venezuelan?) gets two years prison for ID theft to get $440,000 food stamp benefits and $700.000 unemployment benefits
- Seattle: Man gets three years prison for unemployment fraud; got $148,000 benefits from 12 states; also did fraud that tried to steal from estate of dead man
- Philadelphia: Woman indicted for widespread PPP and tax fraud; got nearly $19 million
- Europe: Three arrested in coordinated raids against large ransomware group; included efforts by the UK, Greece, Romania and Spain
- Hits University of Illinois Medical School
ATM Skimming Jamaica and Lottery FraudRomance Fraud and Sextortion