Articles tagged with scam

Thu, May 03, 2012

Man falls for sweepstakes scam

ARLINGTON, Wis (WSAU) Phony jackpot scams are nothing new. But people keep falling for them, and Dane County authorities say they appear to be ...

Sun, April 29, 2012

Charlie Sheen tried to convince pal Robe Lowe to scam EMMYs

Lowe insists the star was deadly serious when he suggested they tried to scam the awards - and win big in Las Vegas.

He recalls ...

Sat, April 28, 2012

Charlie Sheen tried to convince pal Robe Lowe to scam EMMYs

Lowe insists the star was deadly serious when he suggested they tried to scam the awards - and win big in Las Vegas.

He recalls ...

Fri, April 27, 2012

Charlie Sheen tried to convince pal Robe Lowe to scam EMMYs

Lowe insists the star was deadly serious when he suggested they tried to scam the awards - and win big in Las Vegas.

He recalls ...

Mon, April 16, 2012

Tax agency accuses economist of 22-year scam

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Monday accused a man of avoiding $500,000 in taxes for 22 years through a variety of measures ...

Mon, April 09, 2012

Yale donor goes to prison for $110 million stock scam

By Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) - John D. Mazzuto, former chief executive officer of Industrial Enterprises of America Inc, was sent to jail on ...

Fri, April 06, 2012

China sentences woman to death for $16 million fund scam

BEIJING (Reuters) - A 30-year-old Chinese woman was sentenced to death by a court in Wenzhou for "cheating" investors of 100.11 million yuan ($16 ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

Lawyer gets jail time in foreclosure scam

MILWAUKEE (WSAU) A lawyer from suburban Milwaukee has been sentenced to five years in prison, for stealing $542,000 in a fraud scheme. 52-year-old ...

Thu, March 22, 2012

FTC says it halted mortgage relief scam

By Diane Bartz

(Reuters) - A district court in California has shut down a foreclosure rescue fraud that urged homeowners to pay thousands of dollars ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

State prisoner's conviction upheld, set-up long distance phone scam

MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ) - An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a state prisoner who set up a phone scam while behind bars. Milwaukee ...

Sun, February 05, 2012

Oshkosh police looking for people caught in Facebook stock scam

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WSAU) - Authorities in Wisconsin are calling on people to come forward who may have fallen victim to a fake Facebook stock scam ...

Thu, February 02, 2012

Oshkosh woman charged in Facebook stock scam

OSHKOSH, Wis (WSAU) As Facebook starts to go public with a stock offering, a woman from Oshkosh is charged with selling fake shares of ...

Thu, January 12, 2012

Manson Scam Victims Owed $5.2 Million

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) A federal court ruled earlier this week that former officers of Manson Insurance in Wausau must pay restitution of 5.2 ...

Tue, December 27, 2011

GSM phones vulnerable to hijack scams: researcher

By Tarmo Virki, European Technology Correspondent

BERLIN (Reuters) - Flaws in a widely used wireless technology could allow hackers to gain remote control of phones ...

Fri, December 16, 2011

Health Insurance Scam Warning

SPRINGFIELD, Ill (WSAU) Officials in Illinois are warning Wisconsinites about a company that’s apparently selling fraudulent health insurance. T

he Illinois state Insurance ...

Thu, November 17, 2011

Fund manager charged in Groupon, Facebook scam

By Grant McCool

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A fund manager accused of running an $11 million scam promoting phony access to coveted shares of Facebook ...

Mon, November 14, 2011

Foster's father accused of property scam

Lucius Fisher Foster III, who is estranged from his famous daughter, allegedly offered to build 20 homes in California and took deposits from prospective ...

Sun, November 13, 2011

Foster's father accused of property scam

Lucius Fisher Foster III, who is estranged from his famous daughter, allegedly offered to build 20 homes in California and took deposits from prospective ...

Sat, November 12, 2011

Foster's father accused of property scam

Lucius Fisher Foster III, who is estranged from his famous daughter, allegedly offered to build 20 homes in California and took deposits from prospective ...

Fri, September 16, 2011

Former Ohio State football star sentenced for ticket scam

By Jim Leckrone

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - Art Schlichter, a former Ohio State star whose professional football career was cut short by gambling problems, has ...

Thu, September 15, 2011

FBI arrests Florida man over L.A. art scam

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A former art dealer was arrested in Florida on Thursday on accusations he sold a Los Angeles collector ...

Thu, September 08, 2011

Connecticut man admits stealing $2 million in ATM scam

CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - A Connecticut man who helped run a New England ATM network admitted on Thursday to stealing millions of dollars in cash ...

Thu, September 01, 2011

Three years in jail in drivers license scam

MADISON (WSAU) A former Department of Motor Vehicles employee who sold drivers licensees to illegal immigrants will spend three years in prison. 36-year-old Khue ...

Wed, August 17, 2011

Text-message scam

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis (WSAU) Dozens of people in Wisconsin Rapids have received a fraudulent text message about their bank card. The message says their ...

Thu, August 11, 2011

Woman charged with faking pregnancy in adoption scam

By Carey Gillam

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) - A Kansas City woman was indicted for pretending to be pregnant with twins so couples trying to ...

Sat, July 23, 2011

Bold Mexico smuggling scam has Texas commuters jittery

By Patricia Giovine

EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - School teacher Ana Isela Martinez was rolling up to the U.S.-Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez ...

Thu, June 09, 2011

Grifters targetting Wood County with gift card scam

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAU) – Wood County authorities say they've been getting reports of a telephone scam in the area.

The victims are getting ...

Wed, June 01, 2011

Scam targets Cellcom phone customers

WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) Several Celcom mobile phone customers have been the targets of con artists.

The scam involves people being called by someone claiming ...

Wed, May 25, 2011

'Not guilty' plea in bad check scam

RHINELANDER, Wis (WSAU) Bond was set at $20,000 for the alleged leader of a dead-soldier identity scam.

James J. Larson and two accomplices ...

Mon, May 16, 2011

Energy company targeting teachers in scam, Texas officials say

By Corrie MacLaggan

AUSTIN, Tex. (Reuters) - The Texas Securities Commissioner has issued an emergency cease and desist order against a Dallas-area energy company, alleging ...

Mon, May 09, 2011

South Korean gamblers get jail time for casino card-game scam

By Zach Howard

CONWAY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A South Korean man and woman were each sentenced to more than a year in prison on Monday ...

Thu, May 05, 2011

Maine woman sentenced in massive healthcare scam

BOSTON (Reuters) - A day-care provider in Maine was sentenced on Thursday for stealing more than $4 million by overcharging the state's MaineCare agency ...

Wed, May 04, 2011

Bin Laden death "video" used as computer scam hook

By Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) - Computer hackers are exploiting the fascination with the death of Osama bin Laden to spread malicious software through scams ...

Fri, April 29, 2011

Credit union warns of scam

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAU) – There’s a new phone scam trying to get your personal identity in central Wisconsin.

The scammers claim to be ...

Sun, April 24, 2011

Eau Claire PD Warn of Internet Scam

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Eau Claire police say they want to make the public aware of the threat of Internet scams.

Last week, police ...

Fri, April 22, 2011

U.S. man gets 8 years prison in $80 million ATM Ponzi scam

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An Arkansas man was sentenced on Friday to eight years and four months in prison for helping run what prosecutors called ...

Thu, April 21, 2011

New York man convicted in Veterans contract scam

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Brooklyn man has been found guilty of fraud for posing as a disabled veteran in order to win federal construction ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

2 Men Charged in Pay Phone Scam

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Two southern Wisconsin men are accused of illegally getting over $1 million in a pay phone scheme.

A federal grand jury ...

Tue, April 12, 2011

Chinese man arrested for creating fake Army unit in scam

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Chinese man was arrested on Tuesday for creating a fake U.S. Army unit and selling immigrants on the idea ...

Wed, March 30, 2011

Minkow admits guilt in U.S. scam aimed at Lennar

MIAMI (Reuters) - Barry Minkow, an ex-convict and Wall Street con artist who went on to win the trust of federal law enforcement officials, pleaded ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Man sentenced in fallen-soldier ID scam

RHINELANDER, Wis (WSAU) One of the men who used the ID's of fallen soldiers to write bad checks was sentenced to five-and-a-half years ...

Fri, March 18, 2011

Woman sentenced in Boston wedding show scam

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Pittsburgh woman will be doing a perp walk, not a walk down the aisle, after being sentenced to more than five ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

BBB warns against scam charity sites in wake of tsunami

MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) – The Better Business Bureau wants you to be aware of possible fraudulent charities that will be popping up as Japanese relief ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

New York scam artist gets 20 years to life in prison

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A veteran scam artist was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison on Thursday on charges he swindled people by ...

Thu, February 17, 2011

Ratzenberger's one-time ex denies Guggenheim scam claims

Federal authorities allege Catarina Pietra Toumei claimed she was a countess from the famed New York family and said she was married to the ...

Thu, February 10, 2011

Three charged in driver's license scam

MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) – Two Stevens Point men and a Marshfield man are among six people indicted on federal charges they made or bought illegal ...

Fri, February 04, 2011

Lawsuits filed in Manson Insurance scam

UNDATED (WSAU) Three companies filed a lawsuit earlier this week against Manson Insurance, saying unauthorized loans in their names.

The F-B-I suspects that dozens ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

Massachusetts man accused in online computer parts scam

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man was charged on Wednesday in federal court with defrauding multiple top-name computer companies in an elaborate warranty scam, officials ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

Malkovich 'ruined' by Madoff scam

The Dangerous Liaisons actor was among a number of stars, including Kevin Bacon, Steven Spielberg and Zsa Zsa Gabor, caught out by the rogue ...

Fri, January 14, 2011

Kansas University athletic official admits to ticket scam

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - A University of Kansas administrator pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally selling tickets to the University of Kansas' basketball and ...

Mon, January 10, 2011

Portage County warns against deed scam

STEVENS POINT ,Wis. (WSAU) – Portage County authorities are putting out a warning about a scam letter about your deed that is making the rounds ...

Tue, November 30, 2010

Callers report bank debit-card scam

WAUPACA, Wis (WSAU) In Waupaca County dozens of people have contacted their banks and the sheriffs department in a credit and debit card scam ...

Tue, November 09, 2010

U.S. charges 17 in $42 million scam of Holocaust victims

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors charged 17 people on Tuesday with stealing more than $42 million from a nonprofit group that distributes German ...

Fri, October 22, 2010

Jolie conned in rent scam

The Hollywood actress is currently shooting an as-yet-untitled Bosnian war drama in the country and had reportedly scouted out a warehouse in Budapest to ...

Thu, October 07, 2010

Ex-NY comptroller Hevesi pleads guilty in pension scam

By Joan Gralla and Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi on Thursday pleaded guilty to a felony corruption ...

Fri, October 01, 2010

Missouri men offer their riches to end scam claims

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Two Missouri brothers accused of misappropriating more than $100 million from U.S. Fidelis, once the nation's top seller of ...

Wed, September 29, 2010

FEMA: Potential Scam of Flood Disaster Victims Taking Place

WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency says over 16-thousand Wisconsinites have applied for disaster aid from the July floods.
And FEMA ...

Tue, September 28, 2010

Former MSU Basketball Star To Plead Guilty In Internet Scam

LANSING, Mich (WQTX)  Former Michigan State basketball star Jay Vincent is returning to federal court to plead guilty in a 2 million-dollar Internet scam ...

Mon, August 23, 2010

Aniston speaks out about credit scam scandal

U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Maria Gabriela Perez for stealing A-list clients' credit card information and making fraudulent charges on their behalf.

Her ...

Mon, August 09, 2010

Siriano targeted in internet scam

Executives at Siriano's fashion label began receiving enquiries from modelling hopefuls last February (10) after fake ads posted to online listings service Craigslist ...

Sun, August 01, 2010

Ripon Woman Caught Up in Russian Militia Scam

RIPON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Police in Ripon were able to intervene before items a woman believed she was sending out to Russian Federation orphanages were ...

Fri, July 30, 2010

Fake sewer district workers try to scam flood victims

MILWAUKEE (WSAU) Residents are being warned to be on guard against scammers posing as Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District workers.

The district says some people ...

Fri, July 23, 2010

Canada Man Indicted For $100K Investment Scam

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - A man from Canada has been indicted for allegedly defrauding a Marshfield woman of $100,000 in an investment scam.

51 ...

Thu, July 22, 2010

Scam artists target victims of Gulf oil spill

MIAMI (Reuters) - An e-mail scam featuring someone purporting to be BP Plc's Chief Executive Tony Hayward is targeting victims of the company's ...

Fri, July 16, 2010

Doctors, nurses joined Medicare scam, U.S. says

By Jane Sutton

MIAMI (Reuters) - U.S. authorities charged 94 doctors, nurses and clinic owners with scheming to defraud the taxpayer-funded Medicare program out ...

Thu, July 15, 2010

3 Charged in FDL Embezzlement Scam

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WTAQ) - Three men have been charged with embezzling up to $240,000 from the city of Fond du Lac.

36-year-old ...

Mon, July 12, 2010

Scam artists posting fake jobs for oil cleanup

UNDATED (WSAU) - State consumer protection officials say there’s a second wave of scams being pulled off in connection with the Gulf Coast oil ...

Wed, June 30, 2010

2 Men to Stand Trial In Soldier Check Scam Case

ONEIDA COUNTY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Two Green Bay area men have been ordered to stand trial for allegedly forging checks using the names of soldiers ...

Mon, June 07, 2010

Scam Warnings Out About "ObamaCare" Rebate Checks

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Warnings are going out this week to seniors about con men and women who are calling or ringing doorbells to get ...

Wed, June 02, 2010

Court appearance for check-scam suspects

RHINELANDER, Wis (WSAU) Three people accused of using the names of fallen soldiers in a check-writing scam appeared in court yesterday. Criminal charges of ...

Fri, May 28, 2010

Soldier Check Scam Found, 3 Face Charges

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - A Green Bay man, and two others, are under arrest, facing charges in one of the sleeziest check forging cases ...

Wed, May 05, 2010

N.J. exec pleads guilty over online stock scam

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to defrauding clients out of $10.2 million, prosecutors said, after being accused of ...

Tue, April 20, 2010

Latest Scam Involving Banks Sending Text Messages

APPLETON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Some people in the Fox Valley got a mysterious text message over the weekend. It claimed to be from East Wisconsin ...

Wed, March 24, 2010

Inmates run tax scam from jail

UNDATED (WRN) Criminal complaints have been filed against four women who are current or former state prison inmates, for filing fraudulent state homestead tax ...

Fri, March 05, 2010

Cop On Your Doorstep Is Latest Phone Scam

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WTAQ) - The latest phone scam in Oshkosh offers $7,000 from the government and a police officer delivering it to your front ...

Fri, March 05, 2010

New scam charges for access to 'government grants'

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) – Scam artists are hitting Marathon County residents with a new scheme to get your money.

Marathon County sheriff's captain Diane ...

Wed, February 24, 2010

Judge Won't Delay Facebook Sex Scam Artist's Sentencing

WAUKESHA, Wis. (WTAQ) - A judge refused Wednesday morning to delay the sentencing of Anthony Stancl – the former New Berlin high school student convicted of ...

Wed, February 24, 2010

New Berlin Teen To Learn Fate For Facebook Sex Scam

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - A suburban Milwaukee teen will be sentenced Wednesday afternoon, after he used Facebook to blackmail his former classmates into having sex ...

Wed, February 03, 2010

"Grandparents Scam" in Lincoln County

MERRILL, Wis (WSAU) Lincoln County sheriffs investigators say they're getting several calls a week about con-artists targeting the elderly with 'the grandparents scam ...

Thu, January 28, 2010

Credit card scam

WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) There are reports of credit card scam in the Wausau area. Several people have received phone calls from people claiming to ...

Wed, January 20, 2010

New Mystery Shopper Scam Has Wisconsin Connection

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - A new scam is hitting homes across the county with a Wisconsin connection. The Wisconsin BBB's Jo Ellen Wollangk ...

Thu, January 14, 2010

Eagle River police warn of possible travel scam

EAGLE RIVER, Wis. (WSAU) - Eagle River police are reporting a possible travel scam.

At least five victims have come forward alleging that a vendor ...

Sat, November 14, 2009

Jail time, fine, in newspaper delivery scam

LA CROSSE, Wis (WSAU) Not only did the federal judge sentence Martin Holtet of La Crosse to 18 months in prison, she also says ...

Tue, November 03, 2009

Florida law firm seeks probe of alleged funds scam