scam

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Hundreds of 'Good-Looking' People Lured for 'Love Scam'
They Were Lured In, Then Made
to Carry Out 'Love Scams'
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They Were Lured In, Then Made to Carry Out 'Love Scams'

In this case out of the Philippines, some of the scammers were victims themselves

(Newser) - What claimed to be an online gambling firm was, in fact, a scam center that had trapped hundreds of "good-looking" people, who were then forced to woo unsuspecting victims, according to police in the Philippines, who raided the center 60 miles north of Manila on Thursday. Authorities served warrants...

Prosecutors: Con Man Tried to Scam George Santos

Prosecutors say Hector Medina offered several targets his services to make criminal charges vanish

(Newser) - A Texas man already convicted of fraud who was searching the internet for easy marks settled on, among other celebrities, George Santos, federal prosecutors say. The pitch was that Hector Medina Jr. could make evidence against them disappear, along with whatever criminal charges they faced. In exchange, Medina would be...

Another Financial Writer Admits Getting Scammed

'Put your smugness away,' advises Michelle Singletary

(Newser) - Last week, a personal-finance writer for New York Magazine detailed how she'd been scammed out of $50,000. People were incredulous someone in her profession could be so gullible. In the Washington Post , fellow financial-advice writer Michelle Singletary writes that she had to "stifle my own self-righteousness" upon...

Financial Advice Columnist: How I Was Scammed Out of $50K

'If someone is trying to get you to be compliant, they do it incrementally, in a series of small steps'

(Newser) - Charlotte Cowles is the financial advice columnist for the Cut; she used to have a weekly column in the New York Times' business section. She's someone people describe as levelheaded; her best friend and her brother are lawyers. All of this makes it particularly shocking that she was scammed...

Only One Person on Costly Video Call Wasn't a Deepfake

Unnamed company out $25M after worker in Hong Kong falls for elaborate scam

(Newser) - A financial worker sent $25 million to fraudsters after falling victim to a scam that made impressive but alarming use of deepfake technology. The worker initially feared a phishing scam upon receiving an email, purportedly from the UK-based chief financial officer of the unnamed multinational company, explaining the need for...

Apple, Google Pull App Linked to Sextortion Scams

Wizz, a Tinder-style app aimed at teens, says it's trying to remedy the 'technical hiccup'

(Newser) - A Tinder-style app geared toward teens has been yanked from both Apple and Google's app portals after warnings about sextortion. NBC News reports that, according to emails it viewed, Wizz was pulled on Tuesday from the Apple App Store following pushback from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation on...

Man Falls Ill After Scammer Tells Wife to Get Rid of Him

Roxanne Doucette, 64, investigated for attempted murder in Massachusetts

(Newser) - A Massachusetts woman is suspected of serving her husband poisoned soup based on text messages she sent to a scammer, whom she thought to be a soap opera star. Roxanne Doucette, 64, is being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder, according to a Townsend Police incident report. Her 73-year-old husband...

This 'Pig Butchering' Scam Has Victims on Both Sides

Modern-day slaves are forced to try to scam unsuspecting Americans

(Newser) - It has a memorable name—and a devastating impact. CNN takes a deep dive into the rise of a "pig butchering" scam involving cryptocurrency, modern-day slaves, and duped Americans. It spent six months speaking with victims, investigators, and, yes, some scammers to pull the veil back on a scheme...

Moving Company Employees Guilty in 'Despicable' Scheme

Prosecutors said companies would hold belongings hostage, demand extra fees

(Newser) - Two people who worked for a succession of fraudulent moving companies based in New York City are going to be moving to federal prisons for up to 20 years. A jury found Kristy Mak, 34, and Andre Prince, 45, guilty of one count of wire fraud in what prosecutors described...

The Phony Will Worked— Until His Ex Got Suspicious

'Toronto Life' unravels story of ex-cop, his mistress, and the money they stole from a dead man

(Newser) - In one sense, the story by Katherine Laidlaw in Toronto Life recounts a straightforward, depressing crime: When an elderly man with dementia died without a will and seemingly without relatives, a couple successfully schemed to illegally obtain his estate of more than $800,000. They pulled it off because Adellene...

The Rare Kit Kats Made It to the US. Then Came the Scam

'Strategic theft' is on the rise. This was one instance of it

(Newser) - As far as scams go, it's a strange and confusing one—and on the rise. The New York Times delves into the world of "strategic theft," which it describes as "part identity theft, part extortion," with a real-world case involving 55,000 unusually flavored Kit...

Cancer Scammer Apologizes: 'I Didn't Do This for Money'

Madison Russo says it was an attempt to keep her family together; she will avoid prison

(Newser) - An Iowa woman who falsely claimed to have cancer and documented her "battle" on social media will stay out of prison after a judge gave her probation and a suspended sentence, per the AP . Madison Russo, 20, never had pancreatic cancer, leukemia, or the football-sized tumor wrapped around her...

She Wanted Anonymity After Powerball Win, Didn't Get It

Cristy Davis advocates for winners being able to stay anonymous after scammers exploited her

(Newser) - No one matched all the requisite numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing, which has sent the jackpot for Saturday night's picks to $725 million . Winning such a huge lottery is a moment most of us have daydreamed about, but Cristy Davis actually lived that dream, after claiming a $70...

He Lost Life Savings to Scam. The Bank Stepped Up

Australia's ANZ recognized 78-year-old Alex Shaw, who has dementia, had been taken for $300K

(Newser) - An elderly man from Down Under who was scammed out of his life savings has received a reprieve, in a tale described by the Good News Network as "a story of corporate responsibility in the face of personal tragedy." ABC Australia notes that although scam victims in the...

Cops: Cyberscam Led Man to Kill His Family

Thai police say Sanit Dokmai, now charged with premeditated murder, also tried to take his own life

(Newser) - At least 11 people are suspected to be involved with a loan scam that allegedly drove a man to kill his wife and two young boys before trying to take his own life in their family home, Thai police said Wednesday. Sanit Dokmai has been charged with premeditated murder after...

Imprisoned Over Huge Scam, He Insists It Was All Legal

'The Walrus' tells the story of Patrice Runner, who pitched psychic services to believers

(Newser) - As a teen, Canadian Patrice Runner was so intrigued by the power of persuasive copywriting that he set out to become one. Eventually, he was running a booming direct marketing business selling numerous schemes and self-help publications—and the abilities of a psychic, Maria Duval . As Rachel Browne writes for...

She Left a Holocaust Survivor 'Penniless and Betrayed'

Peaches Stergo, who stole $2.8M from him, is handed a 51-month sentence

(Newser) - The Florida woman who "deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud," will pay for her crime. Peaches Stergo, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April and was on Thursday sentenced to four years and three months...

8 Busted in Alleged California Recycling Scam

They allegedly brought in tons of cans and bottles from Arizona

(Newser) - California charges an extra 5 or 10 cents on bottles and cans, which can be redeemed when they're returned to a recycling center—and those nickels and dimes can add up to a lot of money, especially if you're bringing in out-of-state containers by the ton. The state...

Man's Yearslong Manure Scam Sends Him to Prison

Ray Brewer, 66, sentenced to 6 years for cow dung-to-green energy scheme

(Newser) - A California man is going to prison for running a cow dung-to-green energy scheme that authorities say was a load of manure. Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville was sentenced Monday to six years and nine months in federal prison in a yearslong scam that bilked investors out of $8.75...

Mom: Kidnap Scam Used AI Clone of Daughter's Voice

Jennifer DeStefano is spreading the word after terrifying phone call

(Newser) - Jennifer DeStefano got a call from an unknown number while her 15-year-old daughter Brianna was at an athletic event. Fearing an emergency, she answered, reports CNN . DeStefano heard a girl's voice identical to Brianna's. She screamed that she'd "messed up," then the terrified mom heard...

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