Three prominent US banks, Citizens Bank, Truist Bank, and First National Bank, have reported significant data breaches, exposing sensitive personal and account information of hundreds of their customers. The compromised data includes names, account numbers, social security numbers, and other personal details, raising concerns about identity theft and fraudulent activities.
Kirat Assi, a successful marketer and radio presenter from West London, was the victim of an extraordinary and elaborate catfishing scheme orchestrated by her own cousin, Simran Bhogal. The deception, which spanned over a decade, involved multiple fake identities, coercive control, and even threats of violence, leaving Kirat deeply traumatized. This shocking story, first revealed in the true-crime podcast ‘Sweet Bobby’, will now be explored in a Netflix documentary series, premiering on October 16, 2024.
Arizona resident Christina Chapman and North Korean IT workers are accused of stealing US citizen identities to obtain remote work and amass over $7 million. The funds were allegedly funneled back to North Korea and used to support its weapons programs.
ATMs have become hotspots for fraudsters, with numerous cases of victims being coerced into withdrawing money for criminals. Recently, police arrested three individuals involved in over 25 such incidents. The fraudsters remove the card reader, causing the victim’s card to become stuck in the machine. Pretending to offer assistance, they request the victim’s PIN, which they use to withdraw funds after the victim leaves.
Four Las Vegas restaurants have filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber, alleging that the ride-hailing company allowed impostor restaurants to use their names and identities to siphon business on its Uber Eats delivery service. According to the lawsuit, Uber’s failure to verify restaurant identities allowed malicious actors to create fake pages and deceive customers, resulting in lost revenue for the legitimate businesses.
People contacting a financial scams helpline over the past year have typically lost more than £16,000, according to a Government-backed body. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) said that, between April 2023 and March 2024, the 833 people who contacted a dedicated helpline lost a total of £13.6 million. The average loss to fraud was £16,297 per person.
Angela Fae Brown, a former accountant for Viking Pavers in Richmond, California, has been charged with embezzling more than $800,000 from the company between September 2017 and November 2022. Brown allegedly exploited her accounting skills to illegally enrich herself by creating a fake account with a payment processing service linked to her personal bank account. She then generated phony invoices and paid them with the company’s funds, funneling the money into her own account. Brown’s trusted employee status allowed her to conceal her embezzlement scheme for nearly five years before she was confronted by a manager and authorities launched an investigation.
Two directors of a Delhi travel agency have been arrested for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a loan in a victim’s name using his debit card details. The scam came to light after the victim, Dr. Jazeel Muhammad, realized that a loan of Rs. 95,000 had been taken out on his account without his knowledge or consent.
