fraud

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Russia Put Her in Prison —and Wants a Swap

Naama Issachar got over 7 years for having a few grams of pot

(Newser) - A little marijuana, and Naama Issachar became a political pawn. The Israeli-Amercan was flying through Moscow in April when authorities arrested her for allegedly carrying 9.5 grams of pot in her bags, the New York Times reports. Expecting a slap on the wrist, the 26-year-old from New Jersey was...

Arizona Official Accused of Adoption Fraud

Paul D. Petersen, Maricopa County’s assessor, allegedly flew women to US to give birth

(Newser) - Dozens of babies were fraudulently placed with adoptive families over a three- to four-year period, authorities say—and an Arizona elected official allegedly masterminded the scheme. Maricopa County Assessor Paul D. Petersen, who was indicted this week in three states on charges including human smuggling, sale of a child, money...

CEO, Wife Get Jail Time in College Admissions Scandal

Gregory and Marcia Abbott to each spend month in prison after paying $125K to fix daughter's tests

(Newser) - As Felicity Huffman prepares for her 14-day stay behind bars at the end of the month, more sentences are rolling in for the college admissions bribery scandal—and this time, it's both members of a couple who will see jail time. Gregory Abbott, the CEO of International Dispensing Corp....

DoJ: Professor Spent $189K in Grant Money at Strip Clubs

And, apparently, on iTunes purchases

(Newser) - He was supposed to use the federal grants for research on energy and naval technology. Instead, the Justice Department says, a former Drexel University professor used $189,062 from eight grants at strip clubs and sports bars. The Philadelphia university in 2017 voluntarily reported fraudulent charges to the grants from...

FTC Sues Huge Dating Site for Alleged Fraud
FTC Accuses
Match.com
of Fraud
Sep 27, 2019 10:44 AM CDT

FTC Accuses Match.com of Fraud

But site calls the claims 'outrageous'

(Newser) - Catch someone's eye on Match.com? That someone was often a scammer, and the company knew it—at least according to an FTC lawsuit filed Wednesday, TechCruch reports. The FTC claims Match.com lured possible subscribers with emails saying another user was interested, after flagging that user as a...

Why It&#39;s Really Hard to Fake Your Own Death
Here's How to Fake
Your Own Death
longform
Aug 31, 2019 3:00 PM CDT

Here's How to Fake Your Own Death

But be warned, 'pseudocide' is not easy

(Newser) - Faking your own death seems easy, right? Just ride a kayak off the coast of Mexico, swim away, and let authorities say you drowned. But Isabelle Kohn—whose family friend tried that very technique in 1996—explains in Mel Magazine that "pseudocide" gets a lot harder when insurance companies...

80 Charged in Massive Love Scam Run Out of LA

Man named Valentine, another Nigerian citizen are accused masterminds of scheme out of California

(Newser) - The feds say elderly women and businesses were the perpetrators' targets, and that they managed to squeeze at least $6 million out of their victims in what prosecutors are calling "one of the largest cases of its kind in US history." CNN reports on the arrests Thursday of...

Head of Huge Organic Food Scheme Dies by Suicide

Farmer Randy Constant was to begin serving a 10-year term in weeks

(Newser) - A 60-year-old Missouri farmer blamed for running the largest organic food fraud scheme in US history has died by suicide, weeks before he was to report to federal prison to begin serving a 10-year term, a coroner said Tuesday. Livingston County Coroner Scott Lindley confirmed the death of Randy Constant...

Epstein's Only Named Client Absolutely Savages Him

'My trust in him was grossly misplaced,' says Leslie Wexner

(Newser) - Jeffrey Epstein is a fraudster as well as a sex offender, according to retail mogul Leslie Wexner. The billionaire founder of L Brands, parent company of Victoria's Secret, was the financier's only named client for many years in an arrangement seen as highly unusual . In a letter to...

Dirt-Filled Boxes Enable $370K Amazon Scam: Report

James Gilbert Kwarteng is accused of sending the online retailer returns in dirt-filled boxes

(Newser) - Talk about audacious: A man in Spain is accused of scamming Amazon out of $370,000 by returning items in dirt-filled boxes, Fox Business reports. According to Spanish newspapers, 22-year-old James Gilbert Kwarteng weighed the refilled boxes to match the product weight and received his refunds. The boxes apparently went...

Cult Leader Pushed Followers to 'Paradise.' Only It Wasn't

Shin Ok-ju jailed 6 years for assault, child abuse

(Newser) - A doomsday cult leader who told followers they could avoid impending war with an escape to Fiji has been jailed for six years. In 2014, some 400 people followed South Korea's Shin Ok-ju to what she claimed was "the only paradise land written in the Bible" and a...

She Ran a 'Love Village' for Kids. Now, 20 Years in Prison

Li Yanxia, who adopted 118 children, was less loving mother, more fraudster, Chinese court found

(Newser) - A wealthy businesswoman who became known as the "Love Mother" in China for adopting more than 100 children has a new label now: convicted fraudster. The BBC reports that 54-year-old Li Yanxia (aka Li Lijuan) was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hebei province after being found guilty...

Boyfriend's Text Came at Exactly the Wrong Time

Woman was trying to prove to immigration agent that her marriage was real

(Newser) - Under normal circumstances, Rhode Island woman Amanda Hames-Whitman might have been pleased to receive a text from her boyfriend saying they had "the best sex ever." At the time the text from "Chriss" arrived, however, her phone was in the hands of an immigration agent trying to...

'Pharma Bro' Files $30M Lawsuit From Prison

Martin Shkreli is upset over ouster from the company he founded

(Newser) - Imprisoned pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli sued three executives at a company he started Friday, saying they illegally ousted him and defrauded the company of millions of dollars, the AP reports. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Manhattan federal court. It seeks unspecified damages. Shkreli, 36, was dubbed the Pharma Bro...

Court: Arrest Warrant Out for Stan Lee's Former Manager

Keya Morgan accused of elder abuse against late comic book legend

(Newser) - It's been just over six months since Stan Lee died , but controversy still swirls around the late Marvel Comics leader's ex-manager and business partner. Reuters reports that the latest in the saga involving Keya Morgan includes five counts of elder abuse filed against him Friday, including charges of...

Fake Heiress Learns Her Fate
Fake Heiress
Learns Her Fate
May 9, 2019 4:32 PM CDT

Fake Heiress Learns Her Fate

Anna Sorokin sentenced to 4-12 years behind bars

(Newser) - Anna Sorokin, the German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress to swindle banks, hotels, and even close friends as she lived out a high-society, Instagram-ready fantasy in New York, was sentenced Thursday to four to 12 years in prison, the AP reports. The 28-year-old, who had...

NASA Missions Failed Due to Faulty Parts Sold in Scam

Seems Sapa Profiles Inc. knowingly sold bad parts

(Newser) - On the upside, no one got killed. The bad news: An Oregon metals manufacturer lied about test results and sold faulty aluminum parts to NASA and other customers for more than 19 years, according to the Justice Department and NASA . Seems workers at Sapa Profiles Inc—which is now called...

The Hunt for Billions in Long-Lost Gold Is On
Hunt for Long-Lost Gold
Runs Into Major Snag
longform
Apr 28, 2019 11:55 AM CDT

Hunt for Long-Lost Gold Runs Into Major Snag

Dominican authorities are investigating whether it's a scam

(Newser) - Thousands of Dominicans are seeking an immense treasure they believe is rightfully theirs—but it's an ocean away under lock and key, Bloomberg reports. Enter Johnny Portorreal Reyes, a charismatic 65-year-old lawyer who represents many Guzmáns and Rosarios, two families with similar legends of ancestors sending gold to...

Fake Heiress Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison

Anna Sorokin scammed her way into elite NYC circles

(Newser) - A woman who claimed to be a wealthy German heiress has been found guilty of scamming banks, hotels, and friends who funded her lavish New York City lifestyle. Anna Sorokin, 28, was found guilty Thursday of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count...

She Led a Crazy-Rich Life in the Big Apple. One Problem

Prosecutors say Anna Sorokin was a fraudster

(Newser) - Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tips—all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress worth roughly $60 million she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors say, was a fraudster. Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City...

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