FraudInvestigation Archives

Articles tagged “FraudInvestigation”

San Antonio hotels involved in massive credit card theft

by Scott Carmichael on Jan 31, 2009

If you have spent a night in San Antonio recently, be sure to keep an eye on your credit card statements.

Information from 17,000 guests is reported to be involved in a large scale fraud with stolen receipts from 3 different hotels.

Authorities are declining to release the names of these hotels, pending their investigation, but a local newspaper identified one as the Emily Morgan Hotel.

So far, 7 people have been indicted on charges of identity theft and the possession of equipment to make or alter credit cards.

The whole thing probably boils down to criminals who worked at these hotels, and took printouts or copies of credit card receipts off premises with the sole purpose of using them for fraudulent purchases. The case even has some sort of tie to meth.

So, if you stayed in San Antonio, and used a credit card, be sure to keep an eye out for weird charges, and if you do happen to see something you did not authorize, contact your bank right away. In almost all cases, you won’t be liable for these fraudulent charges, but you may have some paperwork involved in proving your case.

(Via: Chron.com)

Check out some of these weeeeeird hotels from around the world.

Scam warning – Your friend did not lose their wallet!

by Scott Carmichael on Jan 6, 2009

Imagine sitting at home and getting a desperate email from a friend asking for help after they lost their wallet on an overseas vacation.

The email address matches that of your friend, and the request sounds legitimate. But before you start sending them cash, be aware that you have probably just become the potential victim of a scam.

It’s the newest craze on many web based email sites (mainly Hotmail). The scammers hack their way into the email account of your friend, usually by guessing their password, and start sending out the “cry for help” to everyone in the address book. Eventually they’ll run into someone who falls for the trick and sends cash using a wire service.

The emails almost always start with “i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel” and you’ll notice that they don’t address you directly by your name.

So, if you get an email from a friend in need, call them, make sure they are OK, and let them know that their email account has probably been hacked. Let this also be a reminder that “password” is not a sufficiently strong enough password for your email account.

Owner of Low-Cost Carrier Jailed for Fraud

by Josh Lew on Oct 6, 2008

Businessman Tom Petters was arrested in Minnesota on Friday as part of a federal fraud investigation. He is the head of an investment group that owns Sun Country Airlines, along with stakes in several other businesses. He was charged with wire and mail fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. Investigators allege that he masterminded a plan to bilk other investors out of at least one billion dollars.

A federal judge in Minneapolis order Petters to be held without bail after a taped phone conversation revealed that the disgraced entrepreneur planned to leave the country. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Petters has stated that he plans to fight to be released from custody and maintains his innocence.

What does this mean for Sun Country? The struggling budget carrier has always operated on a shoestring. Petters has agreed to step down from his decision-making position so that the airline will not be harmed by the scandal. However, the scandal comes on the heels of the announcement that Sun Country is struggling and will be “temporarily” cutting staff’s salaries by 50%.

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