Posts Tagged ‘fraud’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Retail Fraud Is On The Rise

August 15th, 2010

According to a report released by LexisNexis, United States merchants are taking $191 billion in fraud losses every year. In fact, the average merchant will be subjected to almost ten times the identity theft of financial institutions.

The retail industry has been hit with $100 billion in losses as the result of identity theft; that number is pumped up to $191 billion when you factor in lost and stolen merchandise. Stores lost more than twenty times the consumer fraud losses which came to about $4.8 billion in 2008.

“The total impact of retail fraud is versatile and extensive as this crime targets multiple victims,” said Jacob D. Almeida, Vice President of Risk Solutions and expert in corporate markets. “We are seeing huge increases in identity fraud overall as well as increases in the more typical fraud categories like charging back. With the recession and increasing sophistication in criminal fraud methods, it is imperative that merchants and financial institutions work together to cut back on fraud.”

Here’s the skinny on the various types of fraud affecting merchants: identity fraud or fraudulent transactions were the crux of the cost of fraud, representing 52 percent of total fraud losses. Also, it was some merchant groups in particular that suffered the damage. Large eCommerce retailers lost 40%, an upsurge from last year.

Merchants specializing in telecommunications, online gaming and social networking sites were hit the hardest, reporting 64 percent to 67 percent of their total annual fraud loss as a result of identity fraud. Digital goods merchants attributed 54% of their fraud loss to unauthorized purchases. Furthermore, one in five retailers reported an increase in unauthorized transactions associated with identity fraud.

Credit card crimes continue to increase at an alarming rate, but it has been alternative payment systems such as online and mobile payments that have represented a still esoteric source of losses for major stores. The last kind of fraud is known as “friendly fraud,” where a customer places an online purchase with their credit card, then issues a chargeback after getting the purchase. This accounted for more than one third of overall fraud for online merchants.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution, a nationwide collection company. Looking for subrogation? Hire debt collectors. Also published at Retail Fraud Is On The Rise.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

The UK’s Biggest Ever Wedding Fraud Case Exposed

August 14th, 2010

In the time period between July 2005 and September 2009 wedding ceremonies took place for 383 couples in St Leonards-on-sea. The church was so busy that at one point there was practically one wedding every day. . The church was the destination of what police have called one of the biggest fraudulent marriage scams the UK has seen.

The jury in the case have concluded that Ukrainian national Vladymyr Buchak and Nigerian born solicitor Michael Adelasoye and reverend Alex Brown were all guilty of conspiring to breach British immigration laws by arranging the sham weddings.

Hundreds of West Africans got married to eastern Europeans who were each paid up to 3000 to act as a bride or groom for the day.

British law states that husbands and wives of European nationals with working rights in the UK are usually granted permanent residency as long as they can prove they have been together for two years after their wedding. In this case however, the couples went their separate ways after the ceremony.

When police conducted a search of the church they found registers stuffed with details of every ceremony conducted by Brown in the last nine years. Between August 2001 and July 2005, Rev Brown presided over just 13 weddings. But over the next four years the number jumped up to 383.

Police now believe that just 13 of the ceremonies performed were legitimate and immigration officials are reviewing any residency permits acquired as a result of the weddings. Some of the couples involved have now disappeared.

In court Brown insisted he had no idea that the marriages were part of a scam. Police have suggested that just by looking through his registers he should have been able to see there was something strange happening. The parish is in a predominantly white area yet it suddenly became multi cultural with ninety mixed race couples getting married all from the same road at one point.

After the verdicts were read out the crown prosecution service suggested that this was the biggest ever sham marriage scam they had seen.

A defence lawyer will be required in cases like this. A legal defence can help advise you on teh next step with your case.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

Suggestions From A Miami Criminal Lawyer

July 27th, 2010

Everyone is allowed fair legal representation. This particular right and privilege is clearly explained to people when they’re faced with legal offences. In each individual arrest made, every suspect is entitled to a criminal attorney. Many of us see lawyers in a negative perspective. This perspective being that they understand how to get around and twist the issue with their words and legal jargon.

Legal professionals are very skilled litigators that have a much better understanding of the law and also excellent presentational capabilities. A Miami criminal attorney who helped me with fraud charges helped me realize that such abilities with words and logic are what people have to have to prove their innocence.

I have once been charged of fraud because of a real estate agreement I made with foreign residents. It had been a clear misunderstanding between the parties involved, fuelled by a financial transfer gone wrong. I sought the help of a Miami criminal attorney to confirm my innocence and make certain that the other party takes into consideration my side of the story.

Not only did my attorney clear me from the pressed charges, I also got paid for the moral destruction due to the unjust accusations. Just because it’s named a criminal case, it does not always mean that bad people are taking part. Usually, these cases are merely legal arguments among parties that search for a financial advantage over one another.

One of the greatest eye openers that i came across from personally dealing with a Miami criminal attorney is that a large number of cases that need private criminal lawyers do not involve actual violence. As a matter of fact, my lawyer showed me that most of his clients are white collar professionals. Businessmen and women are less likely to commit malicious crimes; nevertheless they sometimes end up in economical situations that need some legal intervention.

People that fit in with the white collar group can afford the assistance of a good private criminal lawyer. This is one reason why a lot of criminal lawyers defend clients who don’t really fall under the stereotype of a cold-blooded criminal. Instead, these are simply people that happened to slip and lose a lifetime’s investment along the way.

Having a Miami criminal attorney represent me in the court room helped me prove my innocence to the jury. The decision was fair for both parties and the situation was resolved very quickly. It can’t be denied how skilful criminal attorneys are in presenting data and pointing out their particular view. Such skills give attorneys a negative stereotype to many, but that exact same set of skills can also be what saves an innocent man from numerous years of jail time.

There are tons of ways to prove one’s innocence. When considering legal procedure, there’s no better way than to ask for help from a dependable criminal attorney. You have to have faith in your attorney’s advice always. To win your case, it is very important you understand that these criminal lawyers are on your side.

Everyone has the right to have fair legal representation and a Miami DUI lawer can provide that for you. For advice in finding the best Miami criminal attorney, follow the steps in this post.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

Fine Points On How You Can Stay Away From Scammers Who Claim To Give Away Laptops For Nothing

July 7th, 2010

An easy way of getting people to view the products you are promoting is by giving out a false promise that they can get a free laptop if they only o to a link you have provided somewhere on your website. It could very well be the value of a laptop that makes such a deal worth checking out.

It is often that you will browse through some online media and a pop up window will ask you to follow that link to get details of how you can have the laptop shipped to your doorstep. It is only after you have read a whole load of jargon that you realize what is going on.

The owners of these websites will do well in convincing you that all you have to do is worry about shipping charges, insisting on how they are after tea break going to put a hi-tech gadget in a box addressed to you.

Many people will be ashamed to admit having ever fallen for this free laptop trick or coming so close to paying out money to a string of accounts on the world wide web due.

So how do the webmasters gain by all these? The answer is simple. People flock to these websites and their popularity grows.

You can sniff out a scammer with a little careful thought. A business would not gain much if they gave a free laptop to each page visitor. What exactly would they be making out of it?

Your details are normally listed down when after successfully getting your attention; the website asks you to furnish them with some information that is crucial to make sure the laptop gets to you.

However, a few genuine organizations will avail free laptops for people to use. These however do not give to everyone who requests for one. They are for special purposes like education so only ask for one of these if you truly have reason to. Otherwise, you won’t get what you’re looking for.

Access more works penned by this same author about things such as Pampers Cruisers and maternity leggings.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

Advancing Your Alertness On Identity Theft

May 27th, 2010

There are different types of identity theft. One of the worst is also sadly quite common. That’s because people are often careless with their social security number. Is your social security card in your purse or wallet?

Ask yourself whether you shred every piece of paper that has this number on it after you are done with it. Most people don’t, they figure it will be fine and just throw them away. But if you are wrong, it can be a disaster.

Some people throw out enough sensitive information for an enterprising crook to steal their identity just from their household trash! My trash probably has my social security number in there somewhere, and that alone is enough for someone to take out huge debts in my name.

It’s not even hard to do! A quick phone call can be all that a person needs to open up a new account. If they have an address, the social security number, your name, and your birthday, they’re all set.

It is astonishingly easy to get that information about someone. Imagine if a stranger calls up and tells you that you have won a fabulous prize – all they need to do for you to be able to claim it is to verify your social security number. Many people would give the information up without thinking twice.

For name and birthday, that’s easy. Most people will just tell you this info if you ask them. Now this same scammer would have enough to call up the phone company and order all of the top services and equipment and options, all in your name, and you would end up getting stuck with the bill. You’re probably thinking, but they would get arrested! Well, they could, but usually they don’t stick around in any one place all that long. They’ll be on to the next scam by the time you realize your identity is stolen and call the authorities.

Some identity thieves sell whole identities they have constructed from stolen information. An illegal immigrant can use this fake identity to come across the border, find a job, get a place to live, and get utilities set up. All the while, he or she is pretending to be you.

By the time you realize something is up, a lot of damage can be done. Sometimes it takes months, or even years, for problems to be so obvious that someone realizes their identity has been compromised. Here’s a worse-case scenario for you to think about: what if the IRS called you up thinking that you owned three rental homes, and yet you didn’t show sufficient income to pay for them. Now the IRS is investigating you, which you definitely do not want.

Refer to additional tips penned by this very author about topics like folding hand truck and lift carts.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

How To Get The Best Tax Fraud Lawyer

May 25th, 2010

Although we would like to believe that just the odd few people decide they do not want to pay their taxes to the government, this is not the case as many businesses fall foul of tax laws as well. When this is carried out by a person or firm then they are committing a criminal act as laid down by the law in America. Perpetrators can be punished severely for this type of offence as it can have serious consequences on the running of government. Most often these so called ‘clean crimes’ are carried out by what are considered respectable people that have not been in trouble with the law in the past.

The crime of Tax Fraud covers a wide range of crimes that include the serious offence of tax evasion to the more minor one of non-filing of a tax return. Just as with many other areas of life, there are specialist attorneys that deal with tax fraud, representing those accused of the crime and those who prosecute as well.

Do not mistake a tax fraud lawyer for someone you will contact to help file your tax returns as their sole purpose is to represent people accused of tax crimes. They are often hired to help clients who suspect they may be under investigation or where they have already been warned that charges will be forthcoming. Imprisonment is not always necessary though and a good tax fraud lawyer will try to negotiate a settlement between the authorities and his client so that their liability is lessened.

Strangely, not all cases of tax fraud are carried out with intent to defraud the government but are done in ignorance of tax laws. The situation can also be the result of poor advice from a tax consultant which is normally able to be rectified.

While this can be used as mitigating circumstances hey will still be held responsible but it is more likely that charges will be dropped or reduced. It should go without saying that only advisers who are accredited should be employed with such an important matter, especially when negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service.

Tax fraud lawyers often put across the point that prosecution and imprisonment will not necessarily recover lost tax revenue but this method should not be relied on to win a case. When this line of reasoning is well presented, the authorities might settle for a compromise by accepting payments in instalments or waiving off a part of the tax dues instead of prosecuting them.

It’s time to clear things up on the subject of 529 gift tax exclusion. Drop by today at Arizona 529 tax deduction.


Comments Off »

Posted in Attorney

Tags:

Tax Laws Of The United States

March 28th, 2010

Although we would like to believe that just the odd few people decide they do not want to pay their taxes to the government, this is not the case as many businesses fall foul of tax laws as well. Anyone found doing this is committing an offence under the tax laws of the United States. The act of flaunting the rules and laws institutionalized for the proper functioning of the government is considered a serious offence. Normally, when this type of crime is committed, it is by people that have no previous record with the police or authorities.

The crime of Tax Fraud covers a wide range of crimes that include the serious offence of tax evasion to the more minor one of non-filing of a tax return. If you find yourself being investigated for tax fraud then you will need a lawyer to represent you; someone who is a specialist in this area of law.

Tax fraud lawyers have only one function and are not used for advice on how to plan for future tax commitments. Clients specifically employ them when they anticipate government interrogation regarding their taxes or after they have been charged for tax fraud. Though the issue is morally wrong, tax fraud lawyers work on ways to negotiate with tax authorities and help their clients legally evade taxes to a limited extent and mitigate their situation with regard to the charge of tax fraud.

A number of tax fraud cases are found to be the result of tax liability ignorance on the part of the accused and not because they are trying to defraud the government. Tax advisors can also be responsible for the predicament of their clients with poor advice which create a situation where tax evasion is the result.

Often attorneys will provide proof that their client was the unwilling victim of tax fraud and although still guilty it is usual for the punishment in these circumstances to be more lenient or the charges dropped completely. Therefore it is in the interest of everyone who requires the use of a tax consultant to choose them wisely otherwise they may find themselves on the wrong side of the authorities.

Although it would be normal for a custodial sentence to be passed the purpose of the tax fraud lawyer is to try and stop this from happening by negotiating with the authorities to allow the tax evader to escape imprisonment so they will be able to repay their tax debt. A competent lawyer will be able to put this point across so effectively that a payment solution usually by regular instalments will be considered instead of those which rely on a prison sentence.

The author writes cool stuff. Get more of it at 529 tax


Comments Off »

Posted in Attorney

Tags:

Beware About Misleading Public Companies

March 26th, 2010

Have you ever faced a fraud in your investments in any of the sections like real estate, basic material, conglomerates, consumer goods, financial sector, or healthcare society? Are you a victim of fraud in investment or improper business practices from the misleading public companies and are not aware of how did it happen? It definitely is an outcome of improper business practices and lack of learning the financial markets. Still thinking to invest and try second time with a better market research and study with financial markets?

Now you can let your dream investment in stock markets come true by checking the current rates and prices of all possible sections of investment. In order to invest online you need to follow the basic step of joining hands with a reputed broker from around. All possible online investment options are explained by the reliable broker. At times it happens that you are caught in to the offers made by any misleading public companies and later need to face a fraud in investments. Improper business practices can be kept aside by all the reputed brokers by providing an online trading platform, market analysis, fundamental details, and portfolio analysis.

For a delightful investment plan you need to research for an effective portfolio maker and someone who will explain all market fundamentals to you in short but clear. Dealing with the investment procedure through a broker is essential in order to receive all advisable transparency facilities and smooth procedure of the trade.

Forex, stock markets, mutual funds, and lot other securities and business opportunities can be considered for investing. Fraud from misleading public companies can be avoided by using top class tools. All such tools and techniques are used by the investors to path back portfolio and securities, indices, and stay away from improper business practices.

Online trading and investing is beneficial as the invertors’ can complete the procedure within few seconds. You need to be clear about the type of investment you are dealing with and keep a track of all updates and latest market news in order to avoid fraud and improper business practices from misleading public companies. Take care to know the risk extent in your investment and proceed further.

Online investment, a method of trading is now in demand like never before. You can expect better returns on the amount invested by keeping the basics right and hoping for the best from market rates. Learn all financial markets and stay away from fraud misleading public companies offering improper business practices.

Looking for more information about protect the public from misleading and/or false representations by public companies?? Ivan is a syndicated writer of http://www.Thestreetsweeper.org. A website with information on Misleading Public Companies.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

Feds Arrest Two In Buffalo For Debt Collection Scam

March 11th, 2010

The U.S. Attorney’s office forwarded a criminal complaint Friday in U.S. District Court charging Timothy E. Arent and Neil G. Wieczkowski, both of Buffalo, N.Y., with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Arent is also charged with bankruptcy fraud. The charge of mail fraud has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The bankruptcy and conspiracy fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse aforesaid the complaint claims that, from September 2005 through the present, Arent and Wieczkowski were engaged in a false debt collection scheme in which they pressed monetary payments from their victims by means of false pretenses, false impersonation and false representations. The complaint states that the victims were individuals who at one time or another owed some type of debt that had gone into collection status.

According to the office, Arent and Wieczkowski underhandedly told their victims that the victims had failed to respond to summonses, which would result in their imminent arrest. It is further alleged that Arent and Wieczkowski told the victims that the only way they could avoid apprehension and detention by law enforcement was to make substantial monetary payments, usually in a matter of hours. The complaint also charges that the defendants tried to avoid detection by altering the names of their businesses up to 18 times, and by using mail drops and “virtual offices.” Deposits into accounts used by the defendants’ businesses during the scheme were more than $8 million.

The complaint also alleges that Arent filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief in 2005, and that, during the proceedings, Arent fraudulently withheld information from the Bankruptcy Court. The complaint alleges that Arent failed to disclose to the Bankruptcy Court that he had bought a 4,700 square-foot residence in Buffalo worth $500,000 before the bankruptcy, and that, after filing for bankruptcy, he was actively engaged in debt collection work through two corporate entities. Arent’s debts, as well as two civil judgments that had been filed against him concerning his pre-bankruptcy debt collection practices, were discharged by the bankruptcy court in 2006.

Arent and Wieczkowski appeared before Judge Scott Friday afternoon. Ms. Kresse moved for pretrial detention. Judge Scott granted the motion pending a detention hearing scheduled for October 6, 2009 at 2:00 pm EST.

I work for a third party collection agency. Contact a collection lawyer to collect on commercial debts

categories: law,crime,fraud,debt,debt collection,delinquency,loan,credit,personal finance


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags:

Health Care Fraud And You

February 8th, 2010

Millions of Americans feel the effects of health care fraud without ever being aware of it. This is a growing problem that takes each and every one of us to fight. If you know of anyone who has committed this type of crime then you should report them to the proper authorities immediately. This is a problem that will only grow worse unless we work together to put a stop to it.

Even our insurance premiums may be affected. When someone files a false claim and insurance companies pay out on it then they have to get that money back. They don’t get it from the person who files the claim but from everyone who has insurance with them. No matter who files that claim it is all policy holders who pay in the end.

Government run programs are often the target of fraud. These programs are paid for by each and every one of us through tax dollars. When someone commits fraud it not only costs us but it could mean others are not getting the care they need. It may also mean the programs won’t be around when we need them our selves.

Because of fraud in the health care system, some procedures and medications may not be available to those who need them most. Some of these could be life saving but instead people suffer and possibly die because of those who take advantage of the system or abuse narcotics. No person should have to live in pain because of other peoples addictions.

Health care providers are guilty as well. Every time a bill is padded or they charge for a procedure that wasn’t done this is fraud. Some doctors and hospitals have even invented ghost patients to get more money. Fraud of this type could even be as simple as performing procedures that are not medically necessary.

While you may not be able to prove weather or not a procedure was necessary you can prove weather or not it was preformed. What one doctor considers legitimate another may say was unnecessary. This is a gray area and not all doctors will agree on what is best for a patient. More often than not this is left at the doctor’s discretion.

Another form of medical care fraud is medical identity theft. This occurs when a person uses another’s identity to gains access though their medical coverage or you may find huge medical bills in your name that aren’t yours. They can also use your name to get narcotics due to an addiction. This can affect your medical records and be very dangerous.

The simple fact is that fraud affects each and every one of us. Imagine not being able to get medical coverage for your child because of other peoples fraudulent activities. Worse, imagine your child being given the wrong medication because of medical identity theft.

You can help prevent fraud simply by knowing what is in your medical files. Help insure that all people who need medical coverage can have access to it. Report any suspected fraud to proper authorities.

A criminal lawyer Toronto gives legal advice when being charged with a crime. A DUI lawyer Toronto are particularly experienced with handling drinking and driving cases.


Comments Off »

Posted in Law

Tags: