A federal judge in Beaumont, Texas, has permanently barred 12 people from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving bogus income tax credits.
A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a Fresno woman late Friday after it found that she committed Medicare fraud by recruiting patients for the purpose of receiving unnecessary power wheelchairs.
Maria Nela Moreno, 57, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter of the Central District of California to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $110,000 in restitution.
Ademola Ismaila Adegoke, 43, of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for using stolen credit card numbers to steal more than $400,000 from U.S. citizens.
On Monday, after a one-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles, a jury found Donna K. Wells, 52, guilty of one count of health care fraud.
A federal court has permanently barred Gerald A. Poynter II of Kansas City, Mo., from preparing federal tax returns for others and from promoting a fraudulent tax scam.
The government has filed a civil injunction lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., against Michael A. Strauss of Herndon, Va.; his son, Patrick B. Strauss, of Washington, D.C.; and Joseph C. Barreiro of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Miami resident Reynel Betancourt, 51, was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for his participation in a $9 million Medicare fraud scheme.
This initiative targets immigration scams involving the unauthorized practice of immigration law (UPIL), which occurs when legal advice and/or representation regarding immigration matters is provided by an individual who is not an attorney or accredited representative.
The Department of Justice, through our United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Civil Division’s Office of Consumer Protection Litigation, is investigating and prosecuting dozens of cases against these so-called “notarios,” said Assistant Attorney General West.
Four Florida men were arrested today on charges that they defrauded homeowners in Massachusetts and elsewhere in connection with a home loan modification scam.
A federal court in Beaumont, Texas, has permanently barred two men from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving bogus tax credits for the production of methane gas from landfills.
Jonathan Curshen, 47, the principal of Red Sea Management and Sentry Global Securities, two companies located in San Jose, Costa Rica, that provided offshore accounts and facilitated trading in penny stocks, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud; two counts of mail fraud; and conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Stephen Murphy, a Utah resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in Salt Lake City to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and was sentenced the same day to 24 months in prison, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson presided over the plea hearing and sentencing, which took place yesterday.
Jonathan Curshen, 47, the principal of Red Sea Management and Sentry Global Securities, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Goldberg.
The Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General and the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General, among other federal and state partners, are holding mortgage fraud summits in Las Vegas and Los Angeles today to help protect homeowners in areas hit hardest by these scams.
Alex P. Soria, 65, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George in the District of Nevada to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds in connection with a scheme to defraud homeowners who were behind on their mortgages.
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging 10 individuals in connection with a vending machine “business opportunity” that defrauded thousands of victims across the country.
A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for operating a foreclosure rescue scam that defrauded distressed homeowners who were struggling to pay their mortgages.
A former Los Angeles resident, who fled to Canada and was a federal fugitive for 12 years, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft and bankruptcy fraud in connection with leading a nearly 15-year foreclosure-rescue scam that fraudulently postponed foreclosure sales for more than 800 distressed homeowners.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division issued a letter detailing the findings of its investigation into conditions of confinement at Escambia County Jail, a jail located in northwest Florida, housing roughly 1,300 prisoners.
Glen Alan Ward, 48, a former Los Angeles resident who fled to Canada and was a federal fugitive for 12 years, was sentenced today to serve 132 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and bankruptcy fraud in connection with his leading role in a nearly 15-year foreclosure-rescue scam that fraudulently postponed foreclosure sales for more than 800 distressed homeowners.
Jamaican citizen charged in connection with the operation of a fraudulent lottery was arrested Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., following his indictment by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2012, the Justice Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service announced today.
Two individuals charged in connection with the operation of a fraudulent lottery scheme were arrested today in south Florida following their indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami on Oct. 31, 2013.
Federal agents arrested Bryan D’Antonio and Charles Wayne Farris for operating the Rodis Law Group and America’s Law Group, businesses that allegedly offered bogus loan modification assistance to struggling homeowners; and Attorney Ronald Rodis surrendered to federal agents on for his alleged role in the operation.
Two Florida men were sentenced today to serve 84 months in prison for defrauding thousands of homeowners in a $4 million nationwide home loan modification scheme.
As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, Attorney General Eric Holder warned U.S. tax filers to beware a “rising threat” of scammers seeking fraudulent refunds based on stolen identities, and vowed aggressive enforcement against the practice. Speaking in a recorded video message released on the Justice Department’s website, Attorney General Holder explained that a growing pool of criminals are engaged in the activity, including gangs and drug sellers seeking quick access to cash.
A Maryland man was sentenced today to serve one year and a day in prison for defrauding thousands of homeowners in a $4 million nationwide home loan modification scheme.
Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday said that the Justice Department will continue to investigate financial institutions that knowingly facilitate consumer scams, or that willfully look the other way in processing such fraudulent transactions. He acknowledged that multiple investigations were ongoing in this area, and said he expected several of those cases to be resolved in the coming months
The owner of a Florida mortgage company, seven employees of the company and two real estate developers were indicted in the Southern District of Florida in connection with an alleged $50 million mortgage fraud scheme.
A dual United States-Costa Rican citizen pleaded guilty today for his role in a $1.88 million sweepstakes fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans.
The men are charged with fraudulently applying for more than $500,000 in assistance from the new CARES Act Payroll Protection Program, which is designed to help businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren raise concerns about scammers taking advantage of business owners seeking aid during the coronavirus.
Business owners, the unemployed and recipients of stimulus checks are among the targets of financial thieves trying to access trillions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief.
Complaints soar over useless face masks, handmade sanitisers and school meal scams
More than 500,000 unusable face masks, and a garage selling fake Covid-19 testing kits, are among the hundreds of frauds investigated by trading standards officers since the start of the lockdown.
According to the Local Government Association, fraudsters have gone into overdrive during the past six weeks to exploit the public’s fears and the fact that they are stuck at home.
Continue reading...We love nothing more than when a shady, greedy, all around bad landlord gets dealt the justice that was coming their way. It's a welcomed moment to see the tenant come out victorious over the landlord's stupid antics.
More than 160,000 suspicious emails have been reported to a new scam-busting service in two weeks.
How Indian call-centre scammers justified tricking Western victims out of hard-earned money.
Sagar Thakkar, the mastermind of the Mira Road call centre scam, always knew how to make money, but never learnt how to hold on to it. "The real masterminds are free. I got caught because I showed off my wealth," said the 26-year-old who appeared on the police's radar after he bought a Rs 2.5-crore Audi owned by Virat Kohli.
"Buying a second-hand Audi R8 was not a big deal for me. I didn't even know it was Virat's car," said Shaggy."I had planned to return the car within a few days, but by then I had been arrested."
Started young
"I was only 15 when I started working, due to a financial crisis at home. I used to sell Chinese hard disks and flash drives at cheap rates. I had a dealer in China from whom I would buy my stock. Initially, no one would buy from me because I was so young, so I started selling the gadgets really cheap. Within a couple of years, I was sending shipments as far as Canada."
It was this business acumen that impressed the original ringleaders of the IRS racket, who eventually hired Shaggy to work at one of their bogus call centres when he was about 18. He would eventually go on to operate such call centres in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, raking in several crores from the scam. But that was not always the plan. "I was a bright child. I wanted to complete my education and become a pilot. I wanted to earn some quick money, so I could save up for the course. But as money poured in, I began to enjoy the comforts it brought," he recalled.
His parents did not approve either. "I would study in the afternoon and then work at the call centre at night. My parents didn't like me working at night. My father would say, 'What is the need for you to work; we can survive with less money.' Initially, he didn't even know about the fraud; all he knew was that I was working at a call centre. But I did so well that I became the head of the team immediately, and started earning lots of money. It was at that point that my attitude changed," said Shaggy.
Jail time
"Obviously, I regret it now. My love for money took me down the wrong path. I have lost the prime of my life in being chased by the law," said the conman, adding, "Jail was a nightmare. The food, sleeping area and overall atmosphere was horrible. I thought I would get bail soon, but got frustrated when that did not happen."
Cut off from crime, he turned to education once again. "I wanted to learn coding, but the jail didn't have the resources for it. I read books on economics and finance, and also learnt Marathi. I can speak the language quite well now," he said.
If only...
He remains bitter about getting caught, but didn't seem to show any remorse for the crimes he had committed. "I am not the mastermind of the scam. The real masterminds are free and happy. I don't want to disclose their names, but they have been operating since 2001. I got trapped because I showed off," he said, adding, "If I had not been arrested, I would have spread this business, or started a new one that would have spread beyond India by now."
Now, he is left with a fraction of the crores he once had. "I spent so much money, I didn't even save anything," said Shaggy. Shaggy has now set his sight on the future. "I will work hard again to repair mine and my family's reputation. A driven person like me will never sit and spill tears, but will always work hard to make the future better than my past."
Rs 25000
Amount found in Shaggy's accounts after arrest
Rs 2.5cr
Value of the Audi sports car he bought
Also Read: The big Mira Road call centre scam: What we know so far
The European Commission has warned taxpayers in Europe of letters being sent by fraudsters bearing its name and demanding the payment of tax not due.
Facebook plans to shake up the finance world with a new digital currency called Libra - we hear about its pros and cons. Next up, we discover what Moll Flanders, the literary anti-heroine, can tell us about modern day bank fraud. And finally we find out how smaller shareholders can stand up for their rights.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Do you want to find out how to do the splits on your mortgage? FT Money Show presenter Claer Barrett is not talking about stretching yourself, but instead, how thousands of borrowers are finding their mortgage lender is flexible enough to give them more than one type of mortgage. Next up, nearly a million people reported scam calls, texts or emails from criminals posing as UK tax authority HMRC last year - we tell you how to protect yourself. And finally, despite the rising cost of childcare, statistics show a million parents are not claiming for the tax free childcare they are entitled to - are you one of them?
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Fraudsters are exploiting fears over pandemic to target pension savers, investors and online consumers
