Latest Fraud Headlines
All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.
More Felony Charges for California Insurance Agents in $10M Fraud Scheme
Sep 14 2021 // Additional felony charges have been filed against Robert Andrew Lotter, 64, of Newport Beach, Calif., and Charles Albert Major, 72, of Irvine, who were arrested in November after allegedly defrauding their clients with...
California Business Owner Arraigned in $2.5M Workers’ Comp Fraud Scheme
Sep 13 2021 // Zachary Navo, 38, of Visalia, Calif., was arraigned yesterday on five felony counts of insurance fraud after a California Department of Insurance investigation revealed he allegedly underreported wages by over $2.5 million...
Delaware Trooper Suspended Amid Investigation of Thefts
Sep 9 2021 // A Delaware state trooper has been suspended with pay amid a federal investigation into a series of thefts from a package reshipping company in New Castle. According to an FBI affidavit unsealed late last week, Jamal J....
SEC Sues Founder of Closed BitConnect Exchange Alleging $2B Fraud Scheme
Sep 2 2021 // The top U.S. securities regulator on Wednesday sued the founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange platform BitConnect over his alleged role in fraudulently raising about $2 billion from retail investors. Expanding...
Vermont Man Charged with Stealing Five Teslas, Including One That Burned
Sep 2 2021 // A Vermont man has been indicted on federal charges that he stole five Tesla vehicles, including one that burned on the ice of Lake Champlain, prosecutors say. Michael A. Gonzalez, 32, of Colchester, appeared in court...
Arizona Print Shop Explosion Accidental, Not Criminal: Feds
Sep 2 2021 // An accidental gas leak led to last week’s explosion at a Chandler strip mall print shop that left four men with serious burns, federal authorities said. Gabriel Pinon, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol,...
California Healthcare Provider Agrees to $90M Fraud Settlement
Sep 1 2021 // A major California-based medical provider has agreed to pay a total of $90 million to settle allegations of Medicare fraud, officials said Monday. Sacramento-based Sutter Health, northern California’s largest...
California Agent Arrested, Charged with Theft of More than $1M
Aug 30 2021 // A Camarillo, California, insurance agent was arrested on Aug. 26 and charged with allegedly stealing more than $1 million from clients, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Steven Franklin...
New York Man Charged in $9M Fraud Conspiracy
Aug 25 2021 // A Brooklyn, New York, man was charged for conspiring to defraud the IRS, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Aleksander Zaretser is charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the IRS. He will be...
Six Maryland Law Enforcement Officers Facing Fraud-Related Charges
Aug 20 2021 // Six Maryland law enforcement officers are facing federal indictment for charges related to schemes to defraud financial institutions and insurance companies. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging an...
Massachusetts Woman Arrested for Workers’ Compensation Benefits Fraud
Aug 17 2021 // A Norwood, Massachusetts, woman was arrested in connection with fraudulently receiving federal workers’ compensation benefits and disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Karen Nolan was...
Insurance Fraud Referrals Up by 11% in Minnesota in 2020
Aug 16 2021 // The number of insurance fraud investigations in Minnesota in 2020 rose by 11% compared with 2019, according to the state’s primary law enforcement agency focused on white collar crime. The Minnesota Commerce Fraud...
Cyber Criminals Target Remote Workers to Corner Stores
Aug 16 2021 // The share of policyholders who filed a cyberattack claim jumped by 50% from the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2021, according to a new report by cyber insurer Coalition. An increasing number of attacks...
Hackers Return $260M to Cryptocurrency Platform After Theft of $613M in Digital Coins
Aug 12 2021 // LONDON/SINGAPORE/HONG KONG – Hackers behind one of the biggest ever cryptocurrency heists have returned more than a third of $613 million in digital coins they stole, the company at the center of the hack said on...
Pennsylvania Roadwork Firm to Pay $20M in Workers’ Retirement Theft Case
Aug 9 2021 // A major Pennsylvania heavy equipment contractor entered no contest pleas to four theft counts and agreed to pay restitution of more than $20 million over allegations it illegally diverted pension money and other benefits...
Former Iowa Insurance Producer Sentenced for Insurance Fraud
Aug 6 2021 // A former Iowa insurance producer was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to an insurance fraud scheme. Dustin French of Red Oak, Iowa, pled guilty in July to one count of Theft 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor). The...
Ex-West Virginia Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Flood Relief Funds
Aug 6 2021 // A former mayor in West Virginia has pleaded guilty to stealing federal relief funds meant to rebuild his city after a massive 2016 flood. Ex-Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber, 70, pleaded guilty Monday in Nicholas County...
Texas Awards $13.6M in Grants to Fight Motor Vehicle Crime
Aug 4 2021 // Communities across Texas are sharing $13.6 million in grant funding aimed at reducing and preventing motor vehicle crime in the state. The Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) grants provide support for...
Louisiana Doctor Pleads Guilty to Workers’ Comp Fraud, Conspiracy
Aug 4 2021 // A Lake Charles, Louisiana, orthopedic surgeon pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud conspiracy, the U.S. Justice Department reported. Robert Dale Bernauer Sr., 74, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to...
California Landscaper Arraigned for Alleged Workers’ Comp Fraud
Aug 4 2021 // Frank Simplicio, 45, of Porter Ranch, Calif., was arraigned on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and perjury. A California Department of Insurance investigation revealed Simplicio allegedly claimed to be too...
