Manhattan district attorney investigators who are examining possible financial fraud have asked witnesses about Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer at the Trump Organization.
Tag Archives: Frauds and Swindling
Amid Slow Vaccine Deliveries, Desperate E.U. Nations Hunt for More
Countries eager to augment the troubled E.U. buying program are eyeing offers from each other, from Russia and China, and from private brokers, some of whom are fraudsters.
China’s Retirement Home Industry is Plagued by Ponzi Schemes
Rooms and beds for retirees are in short supply as the population ages, leaving many vulnerable to companies pitching risky investments.
Rental Scams and How to Avoid Them
New York’s rental market has been turned upside down by the pandemic, making it hard to tell a good deal from one that’s too good to be true.
Glitzy, Tragic and Selfish: Female Con Artists Waltz by Society’s Rules
From fake millionaires to the faux descendants of Nicholas II, the author of “Confident Women” explores the cunning of con women through the ages.
Arizona Man Is Accused of Faking Own Kidnapping to Evade Work
When the police arrived, they found the man with his hands bound behind his back by a belt and a bandanna “stuffed in his mouth” in Coolidge, Ariz.
True Crime Gets Its Close-Up
In “Two Truths and a Lie,” “Confident Women” and “The Officer’s Daughter,” readers feel the aftershocks of felonies and malfeasances.
U.S. Seizes One Million More Counterfeit N95 Masks
Criminal charges are expected in the investigation, which brought the total number of seized masks to more than 11 million, the authorities said.
7 Podcasts About the Art of the Scam
These shows, about corporate fraud, pyramid schemes, Hollywood impersonators and more, feeds the national appetite for stories about deception.
The Sunday Read: ‘Who’s Making All Those Scam Calls?’
Every year, tens of millions of Americans collectively lose billions of dollars to scam callers. Where does the other end of the line lead?
A City’s Mayor, Police Chief and Clerk Face Misconduct Charges
The officials of Armstrong, Iowa, and a former city clerk, face charges that include assault with a dangerous weapon, theft and falsifying public documents, the authorities said.
Robert Altman, Video Game Mogul Who Survived Scandal, Dies at 73
He and his mentor, Clark Clifford, were caught up in a major financial fraud case. He later switched careers to lead the prominent game company ZeniMax.
Three Men Are Accused in Scheme to Sell Covid-19 Vaccines
Prosecutors said the men created a fake duplicate of the Moderna website to fraudulently sell doses of the vaccine, which they never had.
Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks Were Bought in 5 States, U.S. Says
Many of the masks were clever fakes, stamped with the 3M logo and shipped in boxes that read, “Made in the U.S.A.,” even though they were not made in the country or by 3M, according to federal investigators.
Lev Parnas, Giuliani Associate, Faces New Fraud Accusations
The Securities and Exchange Commission claimed in a lawsuit that Mr. Parnas and a business partner duped investors in a start-up called Fraud Guarantee.
Lawmaker Promoted Stem Cell Therapy for Covid-19 in Fraud Scheme, U.S. Says
Tricia Derges, a Republican state representative in Missouri, falsely claimed to patients at her medical clinic that she was injecting them with stem cells, prosecutors said.
Bannon, Pardoned by Trump, Now Faces Manhattan D.A. Investigation
Stephen K. Bannon got a last-minute pardon from President Donald J. Trump in a federal fraud case, but now state prosecutors are considering bringing charges.
‘The Lady and the Dale’ Review: The Con Artist and the Car
An HBO mini-series recounts the complex, contradictory life of Elizabeth Carmichael: criminal, auto executive, transgender pioneer.
A Letter to My Conservative Friends
Hold us accountable, but please do the same for the charlatans who deceive you, use you and cheat you.
Who’s Making All Those Scam Calls?
Every year, tens of millions of Americans collectively lose billions of dollars to scam callers. Where does the other end of the line lead?
A Scientist Is Arrested, and Academics Push Back
Gang Chen, an M.I.T. professor, faces federal charges of hiding affiliations with China. His colleagues, and M.I.T., are publicly challenging the allegations.
Watchdog to Examine Whether Justice Dept. Helped Trump Effort to Overturn Election
The inquiry was announced after revelations about a plot between Donald Trump and a top former department official to promote false claims of voter fraud by replacing the acting attorney general.
Supermarket Worker Stole $1 Million and Bought Cars and Guns, Police Say
The theft, by a 19-year-old who worked at a Kroger in Duluth, Ga., occurred over two weeks when a supermarket compliance officer was away, the authorities said.
For Prosecutors, Trump’s Clemency Decisions Were a ‘Kick in the Teeth’
Commutations in high-profile Medicare fraud cases have elicited anger among those who spent years pursuing complex prosecutions.
Pastor Who Advised Two Presidents Is Sentenced to 6 Years for Cheating Investors
Kirbyjon H. Caldwell was senior pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston and rose to prominence as a supporter of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
For Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Executive Held in Canada, an Opulent Detention
The conditions of the Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges, are even more luxurious than previously known.
Boeing Reaches $2.5 Billion 737 Max Settlement with U.S.
The company agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department.
How the Republican Party Went Feral
Democracy is now threatened by malevolent tribalism.
Behind Trump Clemency, a Case Study in Special Access
Philip Esformes was sentenced last year to 20 years for Medicare fraud. Then a well-connected organization supported by his family weighed in with the White House.
Pennsylvania man is accused of casting Trump vote for his dead mother.
The Trump campaign had circulated the mother’s name while arguing there was widespread voter fraud that helped propel Joseph R. Biden Jr. to victory.
Homeland Security’s Latest Target: Vaccine Scams
A division of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, working with the Justice Department, is hunting down websites offering fraudulent deals to buy coronavirus vaccines.
Indian Call-Center Plot Fooled Americans Into Paying Over $14 Million
The scammers told victims that their assets and bank accounts had been linked to drug cartels and would be seized if they didn’t pay up, the authorities in India said.
Puppy Scams Have Spiked in the Pandemic
As the demand for pets has surged since the arrival of the coronavirus, consumer advocates are warning people to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
It’s ‘Debt Parking’: When Fake Debts End Up on Your Credit Report
The F.T.C. recently took its first legal action to stop the fraud. Consumers may not know the debts are on their reports until they apply for a loan.
How Pandemic Aid Attracted Hordes of Gleeful and Gutsy Scammers
The Paycheck Protection Program offered small businesses a few months of relief, but prosecutors will be running down fraud for years.
Olivia Jade on ‘Red Table Talk’: Five Takeaways
The daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, who are both serving prison sentences, appeared on “Red Table Talk.”
Why Do So Many Americans Think the Election Was Stolen?
Looking for the reasons behind a seemingly unreasonable belief.
Tenants Sue Trump Over Scheme That Drove Up Their Rents
The latest legal front against the outbound president involves a maneuver that earned him and his siblings millions while lowering their taxes.
In Prison for Tax Fraud, He Committed More Tax Fraud, U.S. Says
Abdel Soliman was serving a 41-month federal sentence when he used a smuggled cellphone to prepare tax returns for clients, diverting more than $470,000 in refunds, the authorities said.
Women in ‘Birth Tourism’ Ring Had 119 Babies on Long Island, Officials Say
Six people were charged in federal court with bilking Medicaid of $2.1 million and taking $750,000 from pregnant women in Turkey seeking to give birth in the United States.
Ex-Arizona Official Gets More Than 6 Years in Prison in Adoption Fraud Scheme
Paul D. Petersen, who served as Maricopa County’s assessor, arranged for women from the Marshall Islands to fly to the United States to give birth, prosecutors said.
Barr Acknowledges Justice Dept. Has Found No Widespread Voter Fraud
The attorney general’s comments were a rebuke of the president’s increasingly spurious claims about election fraud.
Two Texas Men Charged With Scheme to Sell 50 Million Nonexistent N95 Masks
The Houston-area men charged a foreign government more than $317 million for the masks, about five times the public list price, the authorities said.
South Africa and Malawi Quarrel Over Fate of Shepherd Bushiri, a Fugitive Preacher
Shepherd Bushiri, the founder of a megachurch in South Africa, fled to his home country, Malawi, amid fraud and money laundering charges, leaving the two nations to argue over his fate.
As Soon as Trump Leaves Office, He Faces Greater Risk of Prosecution
The president is more vulnerable than ever to an investigation into his business practices and taxes.
How I Got Caught Up in a Global Romance Scam
Some guy was using my image to con women online, so I messaged him. It didn’t go as expected.
How ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ Foretold Our Era of Grifting
On the eve of yet another screen adaptation, Patricia Highsmith’s mordant 1955 tale of calculated self-invention feels as relevant as ever.
Bird of the Year 2020 Vote in New Zealand Hit by Hack
More than 1,500 fake votes were slipped into New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2020 contest in favor of the kiwi pukupuku.
She Was Found Dead and Dismembered. Prosecutors Say They Now Know Why.
Brandy Odom’s body was found in Brooklyn in 2018. The killing was central to a $200,000 insurance scheme, prosecutors say.
Steve Bannon Loses Lawyer After Suggesting Beheading of Fauci
Mr. Bannon, the former adviser to President Trump, said the heads of the F.B.I. director and Dr. Anthony Fauci should be put on pikes, leading Twitter to ban one of his accounts.