COVID-19 Fraud

Fraud occurs just about everywhere in the U.S., from sea to shining sea. In today’s case, we take a look at a COVID-19 and identity theft fraud scheme that began on the West Coast in Seattle, Wash., but ended June 2021 on the East...

A business owner from Virginia Beach, Va., is one of the latest to be accused of fraudulently obtaining coronavirus relief loans and using the funds for personal expenses. (Scott Suber is currently facing one count of bank fraud for being extremely selfish, amongst other...

There are a few ways to make money and not work. You could try out your luck in Las Vegas or play the lottery (although it is unlikely that you will win big), be independently wealthy, or collect unemployment. That’s what Daniel Maleus, 33,...

Fraudsters are happy to take your money in whatever form it comes in whether that be cash, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, or gift cards. As a few tech savvy criminals have recently demonstrated, they are also willing to be paid in cryptocurrency. Today, we...

The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the ability of small businesses to retain employees and families to make ends meet. The federal government enacted several programs to financially assist Americans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Unfortunately, the increase in...

COVID-19 fraud scams are sweeping the nation via robocalls, texts, emails, and imposter schemes. As of April 28, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported 27,820 consumer complaints related just to the virus outbreak, including 15,000 complaints about fraud. (Victims reported losing a median...

Sean M. Andre, 30, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is accused of working with Jean R. Lavanture, 48, of Saugerties, N.Y., to fraudulently obtain more than $4 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans meant for businesses financially struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Fraudsters are...

Benjamin Tifekchian, 47, of Portland, Ore., was undoubtedly bedazzled by the thought of obtaining free money from the U.S. Government during the global COVID-19 pandemic. He used his jewelry business, Bencho Jewlery Inc. (Bencho), to illegally apply for and receive emergency financial assistance to...

Catfishing can be dangerous, although I’m not talking about the type of catfishing that requires a boat, fishing rod, and bait. (Although, there is the possibility you could fall overboard or get hooked by a fishing lure.) Catfishing is also a popular technique used...

COVID-19 shut down our world for nearly two years, but it opened a world of opportunity for fraudsters of all kinds. While vaccines were becoming required for active and reserve military members and for citizens attending activities like concerts and sporting events (because metal...