Category: Fraud

No action against ex-Tory worker in £1m VAT scam

Fraud, Money Laundering
A former Conservative party branch treasurer involved in a £1m VAT fraud and money laundering scheme will have no further action taken against him. Malcolm Macaskill – who has a brain tumour and was unfit to stand trial – filed bogus forms to HMRC which grossly overstated the sales from his sandwich businesses to reclaim more than £800,000. He also laundered £200,000 through his local Conservative parties in Glasgow and Rutherglen, Lanarkshire where he was treasurer as well as deputy chairman. Further money was then funnelled through the bank accounts of his current and ex-wives. Because of Macaskill’s illness, an…

Combatting insurance fraud together

Fraud
As the newly appointed head of the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), I am eager to continue our strong partnership with the ABI and its members. By working together, we will advance our strategic priorities of enforcement, disruption, protection and prevention. IFED tackles all forms of insurance fraud, including motor, commercial and public liability. We tackle threats such as illegal insurance intermediaries, also known as ghost brokers. We are committed to bringing organised criminal groups and opportunistic fraudsters to justice. Achieving these goals relies on strong collaboration and partnership with the insurance industry. IFED serves as…

Seized golf course and home up for sale for £19.5m

Asset Seizure, Fraud
A Berkshire golf club and Knightsbridge house forfeited by a jailed banker’s wife have been put up for sale for a total of £19.5m. Zamira Hajiyeva agreed to give up Mill Ride Golf Club in Ascot and the home, which is on the market for £14.75m, external, after a six-year National Crime Agency (NCA) fraud investigation. It resulted in the UK’s first unexplained wealth order and a trustee was appointed by the High Court to sell the assets in the autumn. Online adverts for them went live last month. Mrs Hajiyeva’s husband, Jahangir, was the chairman of the state-controlled International…

Former Art Advisor Lisa Schiff Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Defrauding Clients

Art Dealers, Art Market, Fraud
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately fifty-five artworks. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For five years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by diverting millions of dollars to pay her…

Canadian Businessman Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice for Hiding and Laundering Millions After His 2020 Money Laundering Conviction

Fraud, Prosecutions
Firoz Patel, 50, of Montreal, Canada, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison today in connection with his efforts to conceal and launder 450 Bitcoin, currently valued at over $43 million, that he hid from the U.S. District Court handling his 2020 conviction and sentencing for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and to commit money laundering. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kai Wah Chan of Homeland Security Investigation’s Washington, D.C., Field Office. Patel plead guilty on September 17, 2024, to one count of obstruction…

Guidance on the failure to prevent fraud offence (ECCTA 2023)

Fraud, Law, Regulation & Guidance
Section 199 of the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 sets out a corporate criminal offence for failure to prevent fraud. UK Finance has developed financial services guidance on behalf of our members to supplement guidance issued by the Home Office under section 204 of the Act. This UK Finance sector-specific guidance is not statutory guidance and is advisory only. If there is a conflict between this sector-specific guidance and the Home Office guidance, the Home Office guidance will take priority. The document sets out sector-specific guidance for the purposes of interpretation of the failure to prevent fraud…

Romania: EPPO arrests ringleader of €100 million fraud scheme with mafia ties

Fraud
(Luxembourg, 10 February 2025) – A suspected ringleader of a €100 million subsidy fraud was arrested last week, following an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest (Romania) into a criminal organisation believed to have mafia ties. According to the investigation, the suspect, an Italian citizen, operated a criminal group dedicated to systematic fraud involving EU funding. He was detained on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, in Bucharest “Henri Coanda” International Airport while trying to flee Romania, and placed in pre-trial detention by the Bucharest Tribunal, on EPPO’s request. Two other suspected members of the criminal organisation were…

Germany: EPPO arrests suspect and carries out searches and seizures in €5.8 million VAT fraud involving luxury cars

Fraud
(Luxembourg, 7 February 2025) – In a VAT fraud probe led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cologne (Germany), tax and police investigators have carried out six searches, and have seized 40 luxury cars worth around €1.2 million, real estate and €40 000 in cash yesterday. One person was arrested. The investigation, codenamed ´Dutch Windmill`, was initiated in September 2024, based on findings of an ongoing investigation into the sales of used vehicles by the EPPO office in Rotterdam (Netherlands). The total fraudulent turnover of the group behind the scheme is estimated at over €30 million, and the…

When child’s play turns to child’s pay: Almost one million British children were scammed online in the last year

Fraud
The average financial loss per scam is £103 but the hidden emotional cost is far greater, with parents reporting young people became anxious and couldn’t stop worrying (69%), and nearly a quarter (24%) stopping doing the things they enjoy online.8-in-10 (81%) parents say their children faced long-lasting impacts like anxiety, depression and mood swings after being scammed online.4-in-10 young people say their biggest fear when going online is scammers stealing their personal information, identity or money, but 60% admit they’re not sure where to turn to for help.A fifth of the nation’s teachers have experienced their pupils being scammed online,…

Block Faces $175 Million CFPB Order Over Fraud Failures, Following $80 Million State-Led Crackdown

Fraud, Prosecutions
In a world where swiping right or transferring money can be done in seconds, trust is the bedrock of our digital lives. For Cash App users, that trust has been shaken—and regulators are stepping in with a forceful reminder that convenience can’t come at the cost of consumer protection. Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a $175 million settlement with Block, Inc., the parent company of Cash App. The headline is grim: $120 million is set aside to refund users burned by fraud and mishandled disputes, with another $55 million going to a victims relief fund. But the…

Biggest fraud crackdown in a generation

Fraud
Welfare fraudsters who cheated the taxpayer out of £7 billion last year could be banned from driving if they repeatedly fail to reimburse the public and repay their debt.  Welfare fraudsters who cheated the taxpayer out of £7 billion last year could be banned from driving if they repeatedly fail to reimburse the public and repay their debt. As part of new legislation set to be introduced in Parliament today to deliver the biggest fraud crackdown in a generation, benefit cheats could be disqualified from driving for periods of up to two years if they refuse all opportunities to repay…

£1 million fraud at Aberdeen City Council sends a warning across local government

Fraud
All Scottish councils must learn from the weaknesses that allowed an Aberdeen City Council employee’s £1.1 million fraud go undetected over 17 years. Between 2006 and 2023, the employee transferred 655 council tax refund payments totalling £1.109m into his own bank account. Another staff member acted swiftly and alerted senior colleagues when they became suspicious in September 2023. The council expects to be able to recover the lost funds, with no loss to the taxpayers whose accounts were affected. But the Accounts Commission is concerned that whilst the council had a system of controls in place, these were not adhered…

Gen Digital’s $55.1M Settlement Closes the Curtain on a Decade-Long Fraud Battle

Fraud, Prosecutions
After ten years of legal wrangling, Gen Digital Inc. — the tech giant once known as Symantec Corp. — has paid $55.1 million to settle a False Claims Act case involving overcharges to the U.S. government. The hefty payout, which includes $16.1 million in damages and $36.8 million in civil penalties, wraps up one of the longest-running procurement fraud battles in recent memory. The saga began with a whistleblower’s claims that Symantec had deliberately fudged its pricing disclosures during negotiations for a lucrative General Services Administration (GSA) contract. Those alleged misrepresentations not only secured higher payments than the government should…

FCA secures convictions against two individuals for £1.5m fraud

Digital Currencies, Fraud
Between February 2017 and June 2019, Raymondip Bedi and Patrick Mavanga, defrauded at least 65 investors out of £1,541,799. The group cold-called consumers, directing them to a professional-looking website where they were offered high returns for fake investments in crypto. Raymondip Bedi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to breach the general prohibition under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and money laundering offences at an earlier hearing. Patrick Mavanga pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to breach the general prohibition under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and possession of false identification documents with an…

Trade-based financial crime accounts for 31% of global fraud costs but just 0.1% of media coverage

Fraud, Trade Based Finance
Trade-based financial crime (TBFC) is responsible for an estimated $1.6 trillion in losses each year, nearly a third of the total cost of global fraud, which stands at $5.127 trillion annually. Yet, despite its massive economic impact, TBFC is alarmingly underreported in the media, making up just 0.1% of all fraud-related mentions in articles over the last year. Meanwhile, other smaller-scale types of fraud like Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams, projected to cost $6.8 billion annually by 2027, receive more media attention. Over the past year, APP scams were mentioned 17,121 times in the media – nearly twice as often…

International operation leads to seizure of 2 000 fake works of art with potential losses of EUR 200 million

Art Dealers, Art Market, Fraud
Thirty-eight people have been indicted following an unprecedented operation supported by Eurojust against a criminal network for forging over 2 000 works of contemporary art. A year-and-a-half-long investigation by Italian authorities, in cooperation with Belgian, French and Spanish counterparts, led to the dismantling of the network, which would have caused economic damage of EUR 200 million. Fake art seizedThe fake art recovered by the authorities included forged works by famous artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Francis Bacon, Wassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dalí. Investigations into the fake works revealed…

New failure to prevent fraud guidance published

Fraud
Today we’ve published guidance that will provide organisations with important advice on the new corporate criminal offence of ‘failure to prevent fraud’, helping make sure they are taking action to prevent fraud. Introduced last year as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT), the offence is intended to hold large organisations to account if they profit from fraud. Under the offence, which has cross-Parliament support, large organisations may be held criminally liable where an employee, agent, subsidiary, or other “associated person”, commits a fraud intending to benefit the organisation. Examples may include dishonest sales practices, the hiding…

Popular golf course to be sold after fraud scandal

Fraud
A popular English championship golf course is set to be sold after becoming embroiled in a high-profile fraud scandal. Mill Ride Golf Club in Berkshire was one of a number of assets forfeited by the wife of a jailed banker following a six-year National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into fraudulent acquisitions. Zamira Hajiyeva was forced to give up the Berkshire course – as well as a £14million Knightsbridge House – after the NCA concluded it was obtained as a “direct result of large-scale fraud and embezzlement, false accounting and money laundering.” Her husband Jahangir is the former chairman of the…

Billion-dollar cyberfraud industry expands in Southeast Asia as criminals adopt new technologies

Fraud
A new report launched today has found that Asian crime syndicates have integrated new service-based business models and technologies including malware, generative artificial intelligence (AI), and deepfakes into their operations while establishing new underground markets and cryptocurrency solutions for their money laundering needs.The report, titled Transnational Organized Crime and the Convergence of Cyber-Enabled Fraud, Underground Banking, and Technological Innovation: A Shifting Threat Landscape, is the second in a series of ongoing threat analyses produced by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).“Organized crime groups are converging and exploiting vulnerabilities, and the evolving situation is rapidly outpacing governments’ capacity to…

Student Smishing Scams on the Rise

Fraud
At the start of the 24/25 academic year, the Students Loans Company (SLC) is reminding students to be vigilant of smishing scams. Scammers target students at this time of year as they receive their first maintenance loan payment. SLC is expecting to pay £2bn to students over the autumn term and last year it stopped £2.9m of maintenance loan payments being taken by smishing and phishing scams, where students received and acted on false communications. Smishing, which is fraud involving text messages, is currently the most popular form of scam, with students usually being asked to click a link to…

SEC Charges Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust with $79.8 Million Fraud Settlement

Fraud, Prosecutions
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced today that Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (MIMBT), a registered investment adviser, has agreed to pay $79.8 million to settle charges of fraud. The case involves the overvaluation of illiquid assets and the execution of unlawful cross trades that favored certain clients over others. According to the SEC’s order, from January 2017 through April 2021, MIMBT managed the Absolute Return Mortgage-Backed Securities strategy, which primarily invested in mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and treasury futures. The firm is accused of overvaluing approximately 4,900 largely illiquid CMOs held in 20 advisory accounts, including…

Walgreens to Pay $106.8 Million in Major Healthcare Fraud Settlement

Fraud, Prosecutions
Retail pharmacy giant Walgreens has agreed to pay $106.8 million to settle allegations of widespread fraud against government health care programs, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday. The settlement resolves claims that Walgreens billed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for prescriptions that were never actually dispensed to patients. The alleged fraudulent activity spanned over a decade, from 2009 to 2020, during which Walgreens is accused of submitting false claims for payment, resulting in the company receiving tens of millions of dollars for prescriptions that were processed but never picked up by beneficiaries. Principal Deputy Assistant…

Banks must refund fraud up to £85,000 in five days

Fraud, Regulation
UK banks must refund fraud victims up to £85,000 within five days under new rules. Most High Street banks and payment companies voluntarily compensate customers who are tricked into sending money to scammers. But in a world first, these refunds will become mandatory from 7 October, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has announced. The watchdog has reduced the maximum compensation from a previous proposal of £415,000. It said the new cap of £85,000 would cover more than 99% of claims. It also announced that once a bank or payment company had refunded a customer, it could claim half back from…

PwC Fined £15m for Fraud Alert Failures

Fraud, Prosecutions
PwC has been fined £15m for failing to alert the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to suspected fraudulent activity at London Capital & Finance (LCF). The FCA, which is fining an audit firm for the first time, said PwC encountered “significant issues” throughout its 2016 audit of LCF, with the company having and provided the Big Four outfit with “inaccurate and misleading information”. A senior individual at LCF also acted aggressively towards auditors. Considerably longer to complete According to the FCA, PwC found the audit very complex and it took “considerably longer to complete” than anticipated with the firm ultimately coming…

SEC Charges NovaTech and its Principals and Promoters with $650m Crypto Fraud

Digital Currencies, Fraud, Prosecutions
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Cynthia and Eddy Petion, along with their company, NovaTech Ltd., for operating a fraudulent scheme that raised more than $650 million in crypto assets from more than 200,000 investors worldwide, including many in the Haitian-American community. The SEC also charged Martin Zizi, Dapilinu Dunbar, James Corbett, Corrie Sampson, John Garofano, and Marsha Hadley for their roles in promoting NovaTech to investors. According to the SEC’s complaint, the Petions operated NovaTech as a multi-level marketing (MLM) and crypto asset investment program from 2019 through 2023. They lured investors by claiming NovaTech would…

Investigation Goliath: Suspected ringleaders of international crime group charged with €93 million VAT fraud

Fraud, Prosecutions
Three suspected ringleaders of an international criminal group were indicted yesterday at the Regional Court of Dusseldorf (Germany) for a €93 million VAT fraud, following an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Hamburg, code-named Goliath. The three were charged with criminal association and VAT fraud on a large scale. Two of the defendants remain in pre-trial detention. One of the suspects was arrested during an action carried out by the EPPO on 22 November 2023, targeting the international criminal ring. Another suspect – a Danish citizen who had fled to Africa to escape detention – was arrested…

Left steaming at the ears: father and son duo jailed after City of London Police uncover £136,000 iron fraud

Fraud
A father and son have been jailed for a total of five years after pocketing £136,000 in an elaborate scheme of purchasing reconditioned steam irons and returning them with forged receipts to Argos.Paul Mathews, 62, and Dean Mathews, 40, both of Queens Road, Wisbech, purchased heavily discounted Tefal steam irons, worth £400, and then returned them to Argos.Paul Mathews and Dean Mathews both pled guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering and were sentenced to three years and two years, respectively, at Norwich Crown Court on 13 August 2024.The steam irons that were purchased by Paul and Dean…

Half of crypto ads on Facebook are scams or violate Meta’s policies, consumer regulator alleges

Fraud
More than half of cryptocurrency-related ads on Facebook analysed by Australia’s consumer regulator were scams or violated Meta’s policies, a court has heard. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Meta to court over celebrity scam ads in 2022, alleging the company had engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct in publishing the ads, and aiding and abetting the false conduct by the advertisers. In a ruling issued last week, it was revealed the ACCC has alleged that, since at least January 2018, “Meta has been aware that a significant proportion of cryptocurrency advertisements on the Facebook platform have…

CFTC Orders Trafigura to Pay $55 Million for Fraud, Manipulation and Impeding Communications with the CFTC

Fraud, Whistleblowing
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today issued an order simultaneously filing and settling charges against Trafigura Trading LLC, a global commodities merchant with its principal place of business in Houston, Texas, for multiple violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and associated CFTC regulations. The order requires Trafigura to pay a $55 million civil monetary penalty and implement certain remedial measures to ensure future compliance with the CEA. The order includes three violations:   “As reflected in today’s Order, Trafigura misappropriated material non-public information and engaged in manipulative conduct that affected published benchmark rates,” said Director of Enforcement Ian McGinley.  “This…

Audit Firm BF Borgers and Owner Charged with Massive Fraud

Fraud, Prosecutions
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has leveled charges against audit firm BF Borgers and its owner, Benjamin F. Borgers. The SEC alleges “deliberate and systemic failures” by the firm to maintain compliance with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in over 1,500 SEC filings. The SEC’s investigation revealed a pattern of misconduct, including false representations to clients about compliance with PCAOB standards, fabrication of audit documentation, and misleading statements in audit reports included in more than 500 public company SEC filings. As part of the settlement, BF Borgers agreed to pay a substantial $12 million civil penalty, with…

Fraud rife on secondhand marketplaces Depop, Preloved and Shpock

Fraud
Consumers have been encouraged to be vigilant when shopping online after research showed fraud was rife on secondhand marketplaces, with Depop, Shpock and Preloved named the worst sites, and problems also discovered with industry giants Amazon and eBay. A survey of 1,300 buyers by Which?, the consumer champion, found that 32% had been scammed on a secondhand marketplace in the two years to January. The most common ruse involved consumers receiving incorrect goods or nothing at all, while others were delivered an empty package or counterfeit goods. The survey comes as an international investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and…

Lloyds Bank issues urgent warning over Taylor Swift ticket scams

Fraud
Fans of Taylor Swift are being targeted by a wave of concert ticket scams flooding social media, as the global music icon prepares to tour the UK for the first time in six years this summer.Analysis by Lloyds Bank of scam reports made by its own customers found a surge in fraud cases from those buying tickets for the star’s upcoming – and sold out – Eras Tour. Since tickets went on sale in July last year, more than 600 customers have come forward to report being scammed, significantly more than for any other music artist. The average amount lost…

SEC SEEKS $5.3 BILLION FINE FOR TERRAFORM AND CO-FOUNDER DO KWON

Fraud, Prosecutions
Federal regulators are pursuing a fine of $5.3 billion against Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon for defrauding investors, following a recent verdict that found them liable for a multi-billion-dollar fraud. Do-Kwan-Terraform-LabsIn a court filing, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requested that Kwon and Terraform pay $4.7 billion in disgorgement and interest for their involvement in the Terra-Luna collapse of 2022. Additionally, the SEC is seeking civil penalties of $420 million for Terraform and $100 million for Kwon. The SEC highlighted the need for a strong message to be sent, stating in the filing, “The Court should…

New York Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Citibank Over Fraud Protection Failures

Fraud, Prosecutions
New York Attorney General Letitia James has initiated legal action against Citibank, N.A. (Citi), accusing the banking giant of neglecting to protect customers and refusing reimbursement to victims of fraud. The lawsuit alleges a range of misconduct, including the failure to implement robust online security measures, misleading account holders about their rights following unauthorized access, and illegal denial of reimbursement to victims of fraud. Alleged Misconduct by Citibank: Inadequate Security Measures: The lawsuit contends that Citibank’s lax approach to online security, insufficient monitoring systems, and failure to respond promptly and effectively to fraudulent activities have enabled scammers to steal millions…

Former San Francisco Resident Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Crimes Related To “Ichioka Ventures” Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

Fraud, Prosecutions
William Koo Ichioka was sentenced to serve four years in prison and ordered to pay a $5 million fine for committing multiple felonies in connection with an investment fraud scheme involving cryptocurrencies and other investment vehicles. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge. Ichioka, 30, formerly of San Francisco and New York, pleaded guilty to five charges—wire fraud, two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false or fraudulent tax return, committing fraud in connection with the purchase and sale of securities, and engaging in commodities fraud—on July 12, 2023.…

Deepfakes Are a Threat to UK Banks

Fraud
As fraudsters continue utilizing innovative technology for their illicit activities, financial institutions find themselves in an endless game of catch-up. A particularly concerning development for UK banks involves the surge in deepfake technology threats. According to a report from Sumsub, there was a 300% increase in deepfake incidents from 2022 to 2023 in the UK, with AI-driven identity fraud ranking among the top five in 2023. The UK’s vulnerability to such attacks is heightened due to its economic prominence, widespread adoption of digital banking, and considerable online presence. In an interview with the Financial Times, David Duffy, CEO at Virgin…

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Imposes $91 Million Penalty on Freepoint Commodities for Fraudulent Conduct

Fraud, Prosecutions
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an order while simultaneously filing and settling misappropriation-based fraud charges against Freepoint Commodities LLC, a commodities merchant headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The fraudulent activities, spanning from 2012 to 2018, involved deceptive conduct aimed at obtaining material non-public information from a South American state-owned enterprise (SOE) concerning the purchase and sale of fuel oil. The CFTC’s order mandates Freepoint to pay more than $91 million in civil monetary penalties and disgorgement. The order reveals that Freepoint’s fraudulent conduct included the improper acquisition and trading on the SOE’s material non-public information, constituting a breach…

Vatican court convicts cardinal Angelo Becciu of embezzlement

Fraud, Prosecutions
A Vatican court on Saturday sentenced a once powerful Italian cardinal to five years and six months in jail for financial crimes at the end of a historic trial. Angelo Becciu, 75, a former adviser to Pope Francis who was once considered a papal contender himself, is the most senior clergyman in the Catholic church to face a Vatican criminal court. He and nine other defendants, including financiers, lawyers and ex-Vatican employees, were on trial over accusations of financial crimes focused on an opaque London property deal. Court president Giuseppe Pignatone read out the verdict on Saturday, with Becciu accused…

Following Investigations by Tether, OKX, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Tether Voluntarily Freezes 225M in Stolen USDT Linked to International Crime Syndicate

Fraud
20 November 2023 — Tether, the largest company in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, and leading global crypto exchange and Web3 technology company OKX, today announced that they have assisted the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in an investigation that led to Tether proactively and voluntarily freezing approximately 225 million in USDT tokens in external self-custodied wallets linked to an international human trafficking syndicate in Southeast Asia responsible for a global “pig butchering” romance scam. The joint investigation was conducted using tools from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, and the action by Tether represents the largest-ever freeze of USDT in history. During…

Retired couple lied to bank while under the scammers spell

Fraud
A retired couple lied to their banks after falling under the spell of scammers who stole £86,000.Ann and James were so “brainwashed” by the promise of giving money to their children they lied when banks tried to stop their payments to fraudsters. The couple, both retired nurses, were scammed into taking out loans as well as handing over their life-savings. The financial industry said the scam tactic, known as ‘The Spell’, was the biggest challenge it faced.Ann and James, who has prostate cancer, were lured into putting their money into a bogus cryptocurrency platform after spotting an advert on social…