scam

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Cops: Woman Posed as Men in Love Scams Targeting Elderly

She allegedly tricked 4 older women out of $1.5M by wooing them into fake romances

(Newser) - An Oklahoma woman apparently got sucked too far into the online dating world—but as the scammer, not the one being scammed, according to state authorities. Christine Echohawk is accused of posing as men to woo four elderly women, with a release from the office of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner...

People Are Losing Their Life Savings in Whisky Scams

Unscrupulous brokers are selling nonexistent casks to people seeking long-term investments

(Newser) - Whisky casks have become an increasingly popular investment in recent years, but experts warn that there are scammers galore in the industry. A BBC investigation found that at least three companies are being investigated for selling whisky that was massively overpriced—or nonexistent.
  • Some people, who were promised that the
...

Scammers Contacted Every Adult in Canada
Scammers Contacted
Every Adult in Canada
longform
Mar 8, 2025 6:30 AM CST

Scammers Contacted Every Adult in Canada

Maclean's reports on an owed-taxes scam that's massive in scope

(Newser) - Canada has a population of about 40 million people. A story in Maclean's about the spread of phone scams contains the remarkable nugget that one particular scam operation managed to contact each and every adult in the country by phone, email, or in some other fashion. It was known...

Bogus Texts Warning of Unpaid Tolls Resurface
That Text About Your Unpaid
Tolls? You've Been 'Smished'
in case you missed it
Mar 1, 2025 7:00 AM CST

That Text About Your Unpaid Tolls? You've Been 'Smished'

FBI, FTC warn that scam messages have been hitting people's smartphones

(Newser) - If you recently received a text message reprimanding you for an unpaid road toll bill, or even "toll evasion" (as several Newser editors were accused of), you can probably ignore it. Authorities are warning that mystery texts blasted out across the country are phony, pretending to come directly from...

Australia Still Chasing Influencer Who Faked Cancer

Belle Gibson, who just got the Netflix treatment, has not yet paid her debt

(Newser) - A decade after wellness influencer Belle Gibson admitted she didn't have terminal brain cancer, which she claimed was cured by the healthy lifestyle that made her famous, her story has inspired a new Netflix series—and fresh outrage in Australia about the case's lack of resolution. Authorities said...

Woman Accused of Elaborate and Deadly Romance Scam

The 43-year-old faces charges after 3 of her alleged victims die

(Newser) - A woman allegedly used online dating apps to lure at least four older men to meet her in person, then drugged them with sedatives and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in a "sinister" romance scheme, FBI officials in Las Vegas said Friday. The AP reports three of the...

Cops: Woman Banned From All US Walmarts Strikes Again

Police say Ashley Cross, barred for 'prior shoplifting encounters,' tried one more time in Memphis

(Newser) - A woman picked up for shoplifting in a Tennessee Walmart earlier this week was apparently no newbie to the stealing scene. Per an affidavit from local police seen by USA Today , the 37-year-old suspect, identified by WREG as Ashley Cross, was arrested on Monday at one of the retailer's...

Scammers Convinced Woman She Was Dating Brad Pitt
Woman Horribly Duped
by an AI-Generated Brad Pitt
in case you missed it
Jan 19, 2025 6:58 AM CST

Woman Horribly Duped by an AI-Generated Brad Pitt

The first rule of dating 'Brad Pitt' is don't send him $855K because it's not really him

(Newser) - There's getting weak-kneed at the sight of Brad Pitt on the silver screen, and then there's falling hopelessly in love with Brad Pitt, conducting a yearlong online romance, and sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the down-on-his-luck actor for cancer treatment. As the BBC reports, a Frenchwoman...

This Fake 'Granny' Exists Solely to Foil Phone Scammers

British company O2 creates 'Daisy' chatbot to waste fraudsters' time on the phone

(Newser) - Daisy Harris sounds like a phone scammer's dream target. But as Daisy herself says , she is, in reality, their "worst nightmare." Daisy, as it turns out, isn't real, explains CNN . She's a figment of artificial intelligence created by the British mobile phone company O2. The...

We Still Write a Lot of Checks, and Fraudsters Love It
One Type of Bank Fraud
Is Surging
Nov 23, 2024 5:10 PM CST

One Type of Bank Fraud Is Surging

Check fraud is up 400%, and the Wall Street Journal explores why

(Newser) - Paper checks might eventually disappear altogether, but the Wall Street Journal reports that fraudsters are busy capitalizing on them in the meantime. Its exploration of the issue is illustrated in two stats:
  • Americans write an average of 30 checks per year, by far the most of any nation. No. 2
...

5 Arrested After Fake Brad Pitt Scams Fans
They Thought They Were
Talking to Brad Pitt, Lost $365K
in case you missed it
Sep 28, 2024 6:00 AM CDT

They Thought They Were Talking to Brad Pitt, Lost $365K

Police in Spain say 5 arrested in fraud scheme that bilked 2 women

(Newser) - Two Brad Pitt fans experienced the ultimate disappointment—and wallet buster—when it turns out the person online they thought was one of their favorite actors was actually a group of people scamming them, according to police in Spain. The Times of India reports on the arrest of five individuals...

Scam or Side Hustle? Gaming the Citi Bike Reward System

New York Times explores the lucrative gig some see as unethical

(Newser) - A few savvy New Yorkers have figured out how to game a Citi Bike program that rewards members who help move bikes to locations with low inventory—to the tune of thousands of dollars every month. While the side hustle requires a lot of time, coordination, and exercise to earn...

Silicon Valley Exec Scammed Out of $400K

Rana Robillard thought she was sending a down payment, was actually having her money stolen

(Newser) - A Silicon Valley executive who was on the brink of buying a house instead ended up scammed out of nearly $400,000. Rana Robillard told her story to NBC News as a warning to other homebuyers about how sophisticated cybercrime has become. An email in late January, apparently from her...

Philippine Mayor Accused of Being Chinese Spy

Alice Guo said to be in hiding following allegations of fraud, human trafficking

(Newser) - Philippine officials are searching for a local mayor accused of being a Chinese spy. Alice Guo, mayor of the town of Bamban, has gone into hiding after refusing multiple requests to appear at investigative hearings centered on scams operating out of a casino facility "on land partially owned by...

Anna Sorokin Has Competition in 'Queen of the Con'
'Queen of the Con'
Extradited From Maine
UPDATED
Jul 2, 2024 11:38 AM CDT

'Queen of the Con' Extradited From Maine

Alleged fake heiress Marianne Smyth to answer 15-year-old fraud charges in Northern Ireland

(Newser) - A US woman who allegedly claimed to be an Irish heiress and scammed victims out of tens of thousands of dollars has been extradited to the UK to face charges there, reports the AP . Marianne Smyth allegedly stole more than $170,000 from victims in Northern Ireland from 2008 to...

In Graceland Scam, Identity Thief Steps Forward

Plot using faked documents 'didn't succeed very well,' individual tells 'NYT'

(Newser) - An alleged identity thief claims to be behind the attempted foreclosure auction of Elvis Presley's beloved home, Graceland. "We figure out how to steal," the individual wrote in an email to the New York Times . "That's what we do." The Times had sent questions...

Fire Department Sent $220K for Ambulances, Then 'Panicked'

Hackers stole money sent by volunteer unit in Rockville, Maryland

(Newser) - A volunteer fire department in Maryland is out more than $100,000 after money meant for new ambulances was swiped in a "business email compromise" scam. Per the Washington Post , the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department wired a $220,000 deposit for two much-needed new ambulances late last month, thinking...

Cops: Scam Calls Ended in Uber Driver's Murder

William Brock of Ohio accused of killing innocent woman after both received deceptive requests

(Newser) - An 81-year-old Ohio man is accused of shooting and killing an Uber driver who was directed to his home as part of a scam. Police say the homeowner, now charged with murder, received a call from a scammer who demanded he cover bond for a jailed relative. The caller, who...

UK MP: 'I've Hurt People by Being Weak'

William Wragg says he revealed colleagues' phone numbers after getting caught up in sexting scam

(Newser) - British lawmakers who may have been targeted in a sexting scam were urged Friday to go to police, after a senior Conservative admitted disclosing the personal phone numbers of some colleagues to an unknown individual who held "compromising" material on him. William Wragg, who chairs the Public Administration and...

Mexican Cartel Targets Seniors' Timeshares
Powerful Mexican Cartel
Targets Timeshare Owners
in case you missed it
Mar 24, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

Powerful Mexican Cartel Targets Timeshare Owners

Jalisco New Generation call scam might be its most lucrative venture

(Newser) - The scam started small. After receiving a call from a supposed real estate agent offering to broker the sale of their barely used timeshare to a wealthy Mexican businessman, the US couple agreed to send a few thousand dollars across the border to settle transaction costs. Then they sent more...

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