Top Stories
Justice Department releases efforts to fight pandemic fraud to date
- 474 charged so far; attempts to obtain $569 million
- 120 charged with PPP fraud
- Have seized $580 million in EDIL loan fraud
- Arrested 140 people for unemployment fraud; use stolen identities; much of this by international organized crime groups
- Also done dozens of cases against bogus treatments or cures, PPE issues, and has taken down hundreds of fraudulent websites
Joint US/Canadian Crackdown on Grandparent Scams
- Major police effort in Quebec to target grandparent scams; at least 19 arrested so far
- Indianapolis: Five charged over grandparent scam; laundered money for Canadian callers
- Baltimore: Three charged for grandparent fraud; handled money from victims; had money in mail sent to vacant homes; took in at least $1.5 million; calls to victims from Canada
Virus Benefit Theft
- How scammers got virus benefits; 10% of all money paid out went to fraud
- Texas: Man pleads guilty to $24 million PPP fraud; used funds to buy houses and luxury cars
- Boston: three Nigerians arrested for laundering money from romance scam victims and from theft of unemployment benefits; handled more than $4 million
- Rochester, New York: Man charged with PPP fraud; got $277,000
- Florida man charged with PPP scam; used identities of elderly at senior living facilities; sought $1.5 million
- California man pleads guilty to EIDL and PPP fraud; took in $1.8 million
- Over $100 million in virus benefits from fraud laundered through online investing platforms
- Pittsburg: Pennsylvania arrests three for unemployment fraud
- San Diego DA charges three with unemployment benefit fraud; took in $1.3 million
Studies I’ve done for BBB can all be found here. Here are links to some of the study topics: puppy fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, apartment rental, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud and gift cards.
