Category Archives: Scam

Credit Card Interest Rate Reduction Scam Nailed in Canada-U.S. Sting

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with four of the defendants in an allegedly phony debt relief services operation that claimed that, for $995, it would dramatically reduce consumers’ credit card interest rates. Under the settlement, reached as part of the FTC’s continuing efforts against frauds that target financially strapped consumers, the defendants [...]

Moneymaker Payday Lender Scam Halted by FTC to Stop Sales of Worthless Programs

The Federal Trade Commission has stopped an operation that targeted payday loan seekers and charged them for worthless programs without their consent. A settlement order, reached as part of the FTC’s ongoing efforts to stamp out online fraud, requires the defendants to pay more than $9.9 million and bans them from marketing negative-option programs, which [...]

Summary of 2011 Consumer Complaints and Scam Reports

The GetOutOfDebt.org site hosts the Debt Relief Consumer Complaint Scam Database where consumers can file reports against companies they feel took advantage of them. In 2011 there were 189 consumer complaints filed. Here is a breakdown on those reports. Complaints by Consumers Were received from: Alaska: 4 Alabama: 2 Arizona: 3 California: 25 Colorado: 2 [...]

OK I’ll Say It, Debt Menders is a Total Scam But You’ve Got to See This

The Debt Menders site promises to clear your debt today, offers guaranteed credit repair, and will lower your payments instantly. You probably know the general type of site I’m describing already if you’ve been on the internet for at least ten minutes searching for debt help. But this site is definitely different from all the [...]

Have You Been Scammed or Ripped Off? How to Get Help and Get The Problem Resolved.

If you feel like a company you paid for a service has not delivered the best place to start to attempt to resolve the issue is to contact the company directly. If you’ve tried repeatedly to get your issue resolved by sending an email or leaving voicemail and that’s not getting any attention, send a [...]

Rome Wasn’t Counterfeited In A Day

At the ripe young age of 25 Atlanta Georgia’s Vincent Gerome Rome Jr., pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit $100 bills along with being a felon in a charge of a possession of a firearm. Over an approximately two-year period ending in August 2011, Rome created over $1.2 million in counterfeit $100 bills by removing the [...]

Two Jailed For Fraudulent Debt Collection Service

Those in connection to the fraudulent debt collection service Maxwell, Turner & Associates (MTA), Darrian Summers and Stefan Lemar Miller, were sentenced to eight years and six years of prison, respectively. Summers was sentenced to eight years for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and Miller was sentenced to six years and nine months for conspiracy [...]

Something Stinks. It Could Be This $1 Million Septic Tank Scam

It was announced earlier this month that defendants Mary Moore, Joseph Nouerand and Christopher Lincoln plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for… get this… knowingly participating in a shame to fraudulently market and sell unnecessary and unneeded septic treatment products to consumers. The three acted in cahoots with other employees [...]

The Formula For Fraud Is Not Greater Than Or Equal To The Formula For Investing

An alleged investment fraud scheme has lead to an indictment charging Robin Brass with four counts of mail fraud where she could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Allegedly, from around March 2009 until approximately November 2011, Brass acting as a principal of The [...]

Michigan Man Sentenced For $84 Million SBA Loan Fraud

Earlier this month David Faraj was sentenced to 61 months in prison for his participation in an $84 million dollar Small Business Administration (SBA) loan scheme. According to the plea documents, between 2000 and 2005, Faraj obtained SBA guaranteed loans through the use of straw purchasers. He falsified documents to make it appear that the [...]

Owner Of Three Precious Metal Firms Sentenced In $29.5 Million Investment Scheme

Earlier this month Jamie Campany, owner of three invesment firms specializing in alleged metal purchases, was sentenced to 151 months in prison on multiple counts of mail and wire fraud. According to the Information filed in the case and statements made in court during the plea and sentencing, Campany was the owner of three investment [...]

Mid-2000s Multimillion Dollar Fraudster Finally Gets Sentenced

In the mid-2000s Clarence Allen Rice, owner of C & J Leasing Corporation, ran a complex, multimillion dollar wire fraud scheme to which he was just sentenced to a term of 70 months in prison for earlier this month. Trial and sentencing evidence showed that Rice suffered over $800,000 in day trading losses in the [...]

Three Plea Not Guilty In Skimming Scam Across Southern New England

Three New York residents were charged last week with an indictment charging them with conspiracy, bank fraud and identity theft offenses related to an alleged participation in an ATM “skimming” scheme across southern New England. Gabriela Graham and two citizens of Turkey, Mehmet Aydin and Ahmet Cilek, were each charged with one count of conspiracy [...]

Former Owner And President Of Allied Health Care Sentenced For $135 Million Phony Lease Scheme

Former owner and president of Allied Heath Care Services, Charles Schwartz, was sentenced last week to 195 months in prison (16.25 years) for organizing and executing a $135 million phony lease scheme that losses of more than $80 million and victimized over 50 financial institutions. In April Schwartz pleaded guilty to one count of mail [...]

Home Start America CEO And Founder Sentenced To 50 Months In Prison For Role In $1.5 Million Fraud Conspiracy

CEO and founder of alleged real estate investment firm Home Start America (HSA), Michael Kaufman, was sentenced to 50 months in prison last week for his role in a long-running, large scale wire fraud conspiracy with loan officer David Wynn. According to documents filed and statements made in court: Kaufman founded HSA in Bloomfield, New [...]