If you’ve ever looked at a flashy startup and thought, “Wow, they’ve made it big overnight!”—this story is a gut check. Charlie Javice, once the celebrated CEO of Frank—a company that claimed to make applying for student aid easier—was just sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for orchestrating one of the boldest startup frauds …
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that ANDRIS PUKKE, a/k/a “Marc Romeo,” a/k/a “Andy Storm,” was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for leading a years-long real estate scam in Belize called “Sanctuary Belize,” in which hundreds of victims—many of …
You’re minding your own business, probably scrolling memes or Googling “why does my car make that weird noise when I turn left?” when—BAM!—a text pops up: “🚨 FINAL NOTICE: You have unpaid tolls. Click here to pay now or face penalties! 🚨” Panic mode: activated. You start questioning everything.🤔 Did I miss a toll?🤔 Am …
Ever feel like your timeshare started as a dream vacation but turned into a financial nightmare? You’re not alone. Plenty of people who once loved their timeshare now feel trapped by rising fees, limited booking options, and contracts that seem impossible to escape. And when desperation sets in, there’s always someone waiting to take advantage. …
The Federal Trade Commission today issued an order requiring Ohio-based LCA-Vision, doing business as LasikPlus and Joffe MediCenter, to pay $1.25 million for using deceptive bait-and-switch advertising to trick consumers into believing they could have their vision corrected for less than $300. In reality only 6.5 percent of consumers lured in for consultations were eligible …
As a result of a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit, investment advice company WealthPress has agreed to a proposed court order that would require it to refund more than $1.2 million to consumers and pay a $500,000 civil penalty for deceiving consumers with outlandish and false claims about their services. The case marks the first time …
I was talking with my debt coach friend Damon Day about benefit fraud. It has been about a decade since I last research the issue. Read Welfare and Benefit Fraud Statistics Show a Disturbing Pattern. If you listen to assumptions and opinions about who is behind benefit fraud, you might think the primary offenders are …
If you receive an email regarding a NORTON 360 LIFE renewal, it is a scam. Do not call the number in the email. It appears designed to get suckers to call and then the person on the phone will attempt to get personal information from you. There are a number of red flags in the …
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against the Florida-based marketers of a line of weight-loss supplements who allegedly made baseless claims for their products, and then threatened to enforce “gag clause” provisions against consumers to stop them from posting negative reviews and testimonials online. In a complaint filed in federal court, the FTC alleges …
For some reason, I’ve been getting a lot of questions and statements from people that feel that there is a tremendous amount of benefit or welfare fraud taking place. Is there fraud in benefits systems? Without a doubt, I’m positive there is. But the level of welfare or public benefits fraud is a much-disputed figure. …