Onsite! TV

Tag: Fraud

  • Florida Woman Arrested For Attempting To Use Her ‘Aunt’s Dog’ Urine To Cheat Court-Mandated Drug Test, Police Say

    Florida Woman Arrested For Attempting To Use Her ‘Aunt’s Dog’ Urine To Cheat Court-Mandated Drug Test, Police Say

    A woman in Florida is behind bars after attempting to trick authorities by handing them dog urine during a mandatory drug test, Law & Crime reported. 

    Jessica Beatty, aged 42, was apprehended and charged with fraudulent practices related to urine testing. Court documents reveal that on January 11th, Beatty visited the Pinellas County Misdemeanor Probation Office in Highpoint, Florida for a required drug screening. Having a history of legal issues, Beatty was obligated to undergo random drug tests as part of her release conditions from previous offenses. 

    In an attempt to deceive the authorities, Beatty allegedly tried to pass off dog urine as her own. Eventually, she admitted to her failed ploy.

    “On today’s date, the defendant willfully admitted that she had a fraudulent urine sample that she intended to provide during testing,”

    the probable cause affidavit states.

    “The defendant readily admitted pre and post Miranda that she collected urine from her aunt’s dog.”

    After her failed attempt, Jessica Beatty eventually provided a legitimate urine sample, as confirmed by authorities. The affidavit does not provide any information on how Beatty managed to smuggle the dog’s urine into the facility. 

    According to OHS Health and Safety Services, using dog urine as a substitute for human urine in a drug test is immediately detected by any laboratory.

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?

  • Instagram Influencer Receives 5-Year Prison Sentence For Lavish Lifestyle and Travel Funded By Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loans

    Instagram Influencer Receives 5-Year Prison Sentence For Lavish Lifestyle and Travel Funded By Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loans

    According to the US Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts, Instagram influencer Danielle Miller, 32, has been sentenced to a five-year prison term for committing fraud, per Insider. 

    Miller was found guilty of unlawfully acquiring

    “pandemic-related loans”

    and using the funds to support her lavish lifestyle. She reportedly utilized the personal information of more than 10 individuals, generating over $1 million in COVID loans from July 2020 to May 2021. To carry out her scheme, Miller employed forged driver’s licenses, featuring her own picture but bearing the names of her victims.

    “Ms. Miller isn’t an influencer, she is a convicted felon,”

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the statement.

    “In a quest for fleeting social media stardom, Ms. Miller relied on fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury apartments, and other accouterments of wealth.”

    Levy emphasized that the sentencing must serve as a clear message that building an elite social media persona at the expense of 

    “hardworking taxpayers”

    is a

    “path to prison, not fleeting fame.”

    Miller’s Instagram following includes Anna Sorokin, a convicted fraudster who posed as a wealthy heiress to gain entry into elite New York social circles. In a previous interview, Miller admitted to being a “con artist” with a charm that allows her to manipulate people. 

    She was arrested in May 2021 and later pleaded guilty to charges of identity theft and wire fraud. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV recently sentenced Miller to five years in prison, and three years of supervised release, and ordered her to pay restitution. Additionally, she was forced to surrender several luxury items she fraudulently obtained, and over $600,000 from her residence and bank accounts was seized by the US government.

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?

  • Fraudster Posing As Bank Official Scams Woman Of N2.8M

    Fraudster Posing As Bank Official Scams Woman Of N2.8M

    According To Punch, An Abuja-based businesswoman, Mrs Juliet Okpako, is currently devastated after losing N2.8m to a fraudster who posed as a bank official. The distraught woman said trouble started when a lady contacted her on the telephone and claimed to be calling from her bank. She said the caller, who identified herself as Ms. Joy, told her she called to warn her not to disclose her account details to anyone under any disguise. According to her, she did not suspect the caller because she kept warning her that if anybody asked for her Bank Verification Number or any of her bank details, she should not make the information available to the person. 

    Okpako said,

    “Somebody called me and she said she was calling from my bank. She said some people had been scamming some of their customers. She said they were trying to rectify something. She asked whether I had received any messages. I told him no. She said I should check my phone and send back the message they sent me to her“.

    I sent the number to her and I received another one. She said I was going to receive another message from the bank. And when I saw the message, it was from my bank. I did not suspect anything, as she kept on telling me that if anybody asked for my BVN and all that, I should not send it.

    Immediately after I sent that number, I started receiving debit alerts. That was how I knew I had been scammed. I rushed to my bank, but before I got there, all the N2.8m in my bank had been withdrawn. They transferred N200,000 multiple times to other accounts.

    “They also used N100,000 to recharge some telephone numbers. I opened the account just to save the money to start a new business.”

    She lamented that after all her efforts to block the account failed, the last money in her account was debited when she was asked to get a form before the account could be blocked.

    She added,

    They first directed me to go to court, and from there we went to the Police ‘A’ Division in Suleja to make a report. I gave up after going to court. The police and then the bank said they could not trace the numbers that all the money and airtime were sent. It was when I was trying to get a form that the last money was debited. Contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, was not available for comment as of the time this report was filed.

  • Son Stole $70K From His Grieving Dad By Putting On Deceased Mom’s Voice To Transfer Funds To His Account

    Son Stole $70K From His Grieving Dad By Putting On Deceased Mom’s Voice To Transfer Funds To His Account

    Police arrested a man they say stole $70,000 from his grieving dad by posing as his deceased mother to transfer funds, per the NY Post. 

    Daniel Cuthbert, 42, is accused of withdrawing and transferring money from his father’s accounts to his account over 14 months. Cuthbert allegedly pretended to be his deceased mother by

    “[putting] on a female voice”

    to authorize transfers on several occasions. In some instances, he would also pose as his father during his phone calls to the bank. 

    When his father noticed the missing money from his account he confronted Cuthbert however, the father, overwhelmed with grief, overlooked his son’s iniquity. In 2018, the dad received a visit from the United Kingdom buildings society which notified him that he was on the verge of losing his property because of his debts. The Northamptonshire Police’s Volume Fraud team opened an investigation into the case and Cuthbert was arrested. 

    “This was a really despicable abuse of trust by this man who falsely represented his father and even his late mother, in order to defraud them out of more than £56,000 [$73,384],”

    Sergeant Mike Rogers told South West News Service.

    According to the outlet, Cuthbert also took out loans in his father’s name, which later caused him to lose his home, due to the amount of debt piled up. 

    “This was a complex investigation, but due to some excellent work by the lead investigator, Cuthbert has been jailed and will now have plenty of time to reflect on his actions,”

    Rogers said.

    “We hope this brings some closure to the victim who was put through a horrendous ordeal by his son only months after losing his wife.”

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?

  • $200B Stolen In PPP Loans Was Used On Lamborghinis, Beach Houses and Jewelry, The ‘Worst In History’

    $200B Stolen In PPP Loans Was Used On Lamborghinis, Beach Houses and Jewelry, The ‘Worst In History’

    According to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, tens of thousands of PPP loan fraudsters used the funds to purchase luxury goods including Lamborghinis, vacation homes, private jet flights, and Cartier jewelry to name a few. The country lost an estimated $200 billion in COVID relief funds due to the system being so easy to manipulate, says the NY Post. 

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress issued $1.2 trillion in 2020 and 2021 in COVID relief funds for businesses through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

    According to the SBA, they have estimated over 90,000

    “actionable leads,”

    including several celebrities who participated in the COVID loan schemes. 

    “The fraud was so easy to commit. All of the information was self-reported and none of it was verified or checked,”

    Haywood Talcove of LexisNexis Risk Solutions told The Post.

    “During the height of the pandemic, it was really hard to purchase [luxury] items like a Rolls-Royce, or a high-end Mercedes because you had people walking in with cash from the PPP program to purchase those items for whatever the dealer was asking,”

    Talcove said. 

    Former NFL player Josh Bellamy was one of the many PPP loan scammers. He reportedly collected a $1.2 million loan for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, in 2021 after falsifying documents and providing false information.

    The Jets wide receiver later confessed that he used the money to pay for a stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and jewelry. He also admitted to dishing out more than $311,000 to a reported accomplice.

    Baby Blue of Pretty Ricky was released from prison earlier this year after serving a year of his 20-month sentence for PPP fraud. Blue was accused of

    “filing fake applications to obtain funds through the U.S. Paycheck Protection Program,”

    reports reveal. He now owes over a million dollars in restitution. 

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?

  • Fashion Designer Calls Out Pharrell For Stealing Her Concept and Putting It In His Louis Vuitton Line

    Fashion Designer Calls Out Pharrell For Stealing Her Concept and Putting It In His Louis Vuitton Line

    Pharell Williams, the new creative director for fashion house Louis Vuitton, has been accused of stealing another designer’s concept. If you’re unaware, this past week, Pharrell Williams showcased his fashion line with Louis Vuitton in Paris, which turned out to be a celebrity-filled event. 

    Kellie Ford, the designer who accused the producer of stealing her idea, reflected on her discovery via social media. In 2021, the woman gained viral success after she turned a Louis Vuitton shopping bag into a purse. Ford is now calling out Pharrell for taking the concept and placing it in his fashion line with the fashion house. 

    The designer said on TikTok,

    “Fast forward to 2023, and under Pharrell’s creative direction for Louis Vuitton, they dropped what looks like is the bag. Yeah, its crazy.”

    Ford said in another video,

    “It ain’t about suing, it ain’t about infringement.  The thing is they took the concept…The concept is the same. The concept is, the bag being a normal paper bag being worn at leisure. That’s what they did. They took the concept of the bag….It’s the concept, not the actual bag itself. ” 

    Many users commented on the video with diverging opinions. One user wrote,

    “Ma’am. I remember them bags…very cute. But let’s be serious. That’s their name u were using.” Another person wrote, “I thought of your bags when I saw his. But didn’t Bloomingdales do it first with the little brown bag purses? But what do I know?”

    #Clique, what are your thoughts? 

  • New Jersey Bridal Shop Owner Arrested For Wedding Dress Scam

    New Jersey Bridal Shop Owner Arrested For Wedding Dress Scam

    The owner of a New Jersey bridal store has been arrested after allegedly multiple customers paid for wedding dresses that they never received, Daily Voice reported.

    According to a statement released by the Maplewood Police Department, five women have come forward saying that they are victims of fraud by Maplewood Bridal’s in East Orange, New Jersey. Dating as far back as August 22, the brides reported that after purchasing bridal gowns, owner Nidelka Mayers stopped all communication with them. They allege that their dresses never arrived, and that their messages were never answered.

    “I have been calling to get an update on my dress but when I do the mailbox is full and no one answers,” a Google review reads. “I have sent multiple texts, emails and notes.”

    The 53-year-old was arrested and charged with five counts of theft by deception. She was transported to Essex County Jail, where she pleaded not guilty before being released on bail.

  • NYC’s ‘Bling Bishop’ Lamor Whitehead Allegedly Faked Bank Documents To Buy NJ Mansion

    NYC’s ‘Bling Bishop’ Lamor Whitehead Allegedly Faked Bank Documents To Buy NJ Mansion

    It looks like NYC’s ‘Bling Bling’ Bishop, Lamor Whitehead, is back in headlines for allegedly faking bank documents to finance his New Jersey mansion, NY Post reported. 

    Whitehead first gained international notoriety in 2022 after being robbed at gunpoint at his Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn, New York during a live stream. The 44-year-old received enormous backlash from critics about his choice to sport designer labels and luxury cars. Since then, the Bishop has been having a hard time dodging the media. As of recently, he faces federal fraud charges for allegedly faking important documents to receive a quarter-million dollar business loan in 2018.

    According to the outlet, Whitehead applied for a business loan and allegedly provided a

    “bank account that did not in fact exist.”

    The documents made it seem that his company, Anointing Management Services LLC, had over $2 million in assets, however, 

    “during that time period [the business] had an average ending balance of less than ten dollars.” 

    Reports reveal that although Whitehead did not receive the loan in 2018, he applied again in 2019 with

    “forged documents”

    to receive a $1.3 million mortgage on his home in Paramus, New Jersey.

    “We are going to be fighting those allegations. Lamor Whitehead will be pleading not guilty when he is arraigned on the … indictment and denies those charges,”

    Whitehead’s attorney Dawn Florio told the outlet.

    Back in December, Whitehead was arrested by federal agents for allegedly stealing $90,000 from one of his church members’ retirement fund, and spending it on luxury items. He was later freed on a $500,000 bond. In 2006, the pastor was also convicted of identity theft after using victims’ personal information to purchase cars and motorcycles.

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?

  • “Basketball Wives” Star Brittish Williams To Be Hit With Additional Charges In Insurance Fraud Case

    “Basketball Wives” Star Brittish Williams To Be Hit With Additional Charges In Insurance Fraud Case

    In 2021, Basketball Ball Wives star Brittish Williams was indicted on federal charges. Williams has been accused of misuse of a social security number, bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements to the IRS, and aggravated identity theft. The VH1 reality star has pleaded not guilty.

    Weeks before for trial, prosecutors have announced that they plan to file additional charges, Radar Online reported. Which charges they intend to bring forward remain a mystery, but court documents state that the court it intends to “present a superseding Indictment to a Grand Jury before the trial date” including them.

    Beau B. Brindley, Williams’ attorney, believes that the new charges will be easily disputed. “The government continues to make allegations that far exceed any actual evidence in their possession,” he explained. “Whatever the new charges may be, we look forward to addressing them.”

    Last year, the prosecutors demanded that Williams be held in state custody until her trial, stating that she had violated the court’s order by traveling across state lines. The judge denied their request, and even granted granted a motion brought by Williams’ defense team requesting that her ankle bracelet monitor be removed.

    “The producers of [Basketball Wives] do not want the ankle monitor to be visible,” Brindley said. “This creates stark limitations on the outfits and costuming that Ms. Williams can utilize. Ms. Williams does not engage in work for which she gets to choose her own outfits and clothes.”

    Brittish Williams’ trial is scheduled to begin next month, on April 17, 2023.

  • Doctor Convicted Of Fraud After Reusing Single-use Tools For Sinus Surgeries ‘Hundreds Of Times’

    Doctor Convicted Of Fraud After Reusing Single-use Tools For Sinus Surgeries ‘Hundreds Of Times’

    A North Carolina ENT Doctor has been convicted of fraud after she was caught reusing single-use tools for sinus surgeries hundreds of times, Dailymail reported. 

    Anita Louise Jackson, 59, owned three offices of Greater Carolina Ear, Nose and Throat where she defrauded her patients by reusing single-use devices from 2011 to the end of 2017. According to the outlet, Jackson utilized only 36 devices for 1,400 procedures. Jackson is accused of performing these heinous acts on her patients who were on Medicare. 

    Jackson reportedly had been operating balloon sinuplasty procedures, which treats chronic sinusitis where she used Entellus XprESS, an FDA-approved device. However, the FDA only approved it for use on one patient, for one surgery, and then it is meant to be discarded. According to Justice Department officials, records revealed that Jackson had only ordered 36 new devices in the years in which she conducted 1,400 surgeries. She also failed to inform her patients about her malpractice. 

    “This doctor put profit ahead of patients, luring in Medicare patients with free ‘sinus spas’ and risking infection to those patients by reusing the same single-use surgical devices on them again and again,”

    said Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

    She is also accused of using those surgeries to bill Medicare over $46 million.

    Jackson is convicted on charges of fabricating medical and healthcare records, paying illegal remunerations, mail fraud, and conspiracy. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted and fines exceeding $250,000. The jury already ordered an appropriation of $4,794,039.31 in Medicare fraud.

    #Clique, what are your thoughts?