Frauds, Scams & Cons (General; Miscellaneous)

[PeteS]

Many, many people stop smoking/drinking/taking drugs/gambling etc without help from anyone.

I was never addicted to smoking or drinking and stopped both on a whim. No side effects. I could start and stop both again. What is funny is that how many people have been surprised that I neither smoke or drink, don't gamble or use drugs. It's almost as if it's abnormal to not have these addictions.

 

[Stormkhan]

Of course, being epileptic is just a modern excuse for being possesed of demons.
In 'the old days', we'd have a priest turn up and beat the crap out of them cure them and make them go back to work, eh?

It's funny how modern perceptions of the world are shaped.
Chatting yesterday to a bloke in the pub, coming up for his 80th birthday. Asked me if it was right for migrants "coming here in them boats" to get free lawyers? I pointed out that, in trouble, ANYONE had the right to a lawyer; the coppers are obliged to offer access to a solicitor.
In all his years, he didn't know this.

So before anyone says "In my day", remember it aint any more and science has learned more about our world.
Illnesses aren't invented - they're discovered!

 

[catseye]

Of course, being epileptic is just a modern excuse for being possesed of demons.
In 'the old days', we'd have a priest turn up and beat the crap out of them cure them and make them go back to work, eh?

I wonder what used to happen when the epileptic was 'cured' by the priest and yet, shockingly, continued to have fits (as will have happened in almost every single case)?

 

[Frideswide]

I wonder what used to happen when the epileptic was 'cured' by the priest and yet, shockingly, continued to have fits (as will have happened in almost every single case)?

BURN THE WITCH!!!!!!!!

(and also you for being an uppity woman and asking the question)

 

[AnonyJ]

...So before anyone says "In my day", remember it aint any more and science has learned more about our world.
Illnesses aren't invented - they're discovered!

Very true.

Up until c.1920s Multiple Sclerosis was sometimes deemed and treated as a psychosomatic illness. Only more modern nerve imaging and tests revealed the real cause.

I have young relatives (siblings) all with a genetic deletion disease. It's so rare that it has no name as such (yet). The symptoms are such that were it not for the genomic sequencing they may have been written off as "slow", "naughty" or "clumsy".

 

[uair01]

Primary school teacher rightly dismissed after lying about day at Efteling (children's fun park, not educational)

https://nos.nl/artikel/2490562-basisschooljuf-terecht-ontslagen-na-leugen-over-dagje-efteling

A primary school teacher who went on a day trip to the Efteling with her class on her own initiative was rightly fired for doing so, the Amsterdam court has ruled. The teacher challenged the dismissal because, according to her, the outing was well-intentioned. She thought it would be fun to surprise the children, "mostly from underprivileged families", with the day at the amusement park.

The teacher from the Professor Dumont School in Amsterdam-Zuidoost had earlier gone to the school's management to ask if she could take the children to the Efteling. The headmaster thought that was too expensive and decided it would be better if the group went to the Space Expo in Noordwijk. (educational and closer to Amsterdam)

The teacher, who had been employed for over two years, did not listen to that. Without informing the school board, she left for the Efteling with her class on 10 March anyway. She did so together with an external supervisor, who covered the extra costs, in two vans borrowed from other schools. The court found that this involved an "unacceptable risk" and an "uninsured situation".

A few days later, the teacher reported on the school trip in the school's newsletter. She wrote about a field trip to the Space Expo, giving the impression that the pupils had actually been there. She said in court that she "never intended" to "lie" to the board and parents.

However, she had asked the children not to reveal anything about the outing to parents, brothers or sisters. At the hearing, it became clear that this had not always been successful: one child had been slapped for "continuing to lie about a visit to the Efteling" in the parent's eyes.

The deception came to light when a fine came in for speeding on the A2, for one of the two borrowed vans. You don't cross that part of the A2 when driving to the Space Expo from Amsterdam.

The woman eventually confessed to the lies in a conversation with the HR department, after which the school summarily dismissed her three days later. So that decision now stands.

 

[brownmane]

Primary school teacher rightly dismissed after lying about day at Efteling (children's fun park, not educational)

https://nos.nl/artikel/2490562-basisschooljuf-terecht-ontslagen-na-leugen-over-dagje-efteling

A primary school teacher who went on a day trip to the Efteling with her class on her own initiative was rightly fired for doing so, the Amsterdam court has ruled. The teacher challenged the dismissal because, according to her, the outing was well-intentioned. She thought it would be fun to surprise the children, "mostly from underprivileged families", with the day at the amusement park.

The teacher from the Professor Dumont School in Amsterdam-Zuidoost had earlier gone to the school's management to ask if she could take the children to the Efteling. The headmaster thought that was too expensive and decided it would be better if the group went to the Space Expo in Noordwijk. (educational and closer to Amsterdam)

The teacher, who had been employed for over two years, did not listen to that. Without informing the school board, she left for the Efteling with her class on 10 March anyway. She did so together with an external supervisor, who covered the extra costs, in two vans borrowed from other schools. The court found that this involved an "unacceptable risk" and an "uninsured situation".

A few days later, the teacher reported on the school trip in the school's newsletter. She wrote about a field trip to the Space Expo, giving the impression that the pupils had actually been there. She said in court that she "never intended" to "lie" to the board and parents.

However, she had asked the children not to reveal anything about the outing to parents, brothers or sisters. At the hearing, it became clear that this had not always been successful: one child had been slapped for "continuing to lie about a visit to the Efteling" in the parent's eyes.

The deception came to light when a fine came in for speeding on the A2, for one of the two borrowed vans. You don't cross that part of the A2 when driving to the Space Expo from Amsterdam.

The woman eventually confessed to the lies in a conversation with the HR department, after which the school summarily dismissed her three days later. So that decision now stands.

An incredibly irresponsible person. And someone who is "in a position of trust" to tell the kids to lie about where they had been. WTF? She deserves the dismissal.

 

[Stormkhan]

She wrote about a field trip to the Space Expo, giving the impression that the pupils had actually been there. She said in court that she "never intended" to "lie" to the board and parents.

That kind of dishonesty is nasty. It's the idea that if you misdirect, you manipulate people into believing an untruth, you're 'not actually lying' - which is incorrect. You are making people believe a lie that you've not expressly voiced. It's still dishonesty.
"Never intended to lie" is absolute rubbish! That's a fuzzy way of saying "I didn't lie - they just thought that way!"

 

[ramonmercado]

Another cancer fraud.

Denis O’Brien has provided gardaí with extensive information on a former GAA star under investigation for widespread fraud.

The sportsman made a number of approaches to the businessman who agreed to help him.

He allegedly requested large amounts of cash in the form of payments and loans from the billionaire, claiming he needed it to fund his cancer treatment. As well as handing over large sums of cash, Mr O’Brien also agreed to let the man use some of his properties, The Irish Times understands.

It is understood the businessman was eager to help the man and did not seek proof of his illness or the treatment costs.

---

Details of the businessman’s involvement in the matter were first reported by the Sunday Independent.

Mr O’Brien is assisting the Garda with the investigation and has spoken with detectives from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) about his dealings with the sports star. He has provided them with extensive information, including details of the financial transactions and his contacts with the man.


A spokesman for Mr O’Brien said on Sunday he had no comment to make on the matter.

The billionaire is one of many people allegedly approached by the sports star. Several of these have already made Garda statements.

Detectives are understood to be eager to speak to the sportsman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and are waiting for an appropriate opportunity. No arrests have been made to date.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau is investigating whether the retired player deceived friends and business acquaintances into lending him money for medical and other bills.

Detectives are examining whether or not he falsely claimed that he had cancer when he approached people looking for money. The prominent former player is understood to have agreed loan arrangements with those from whom he took the money.

The sums involved range from a few thousand euro to more than €100,000. The sums he received from Mr O’Brien are believed to amount to tens of thousands of euro. ...

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/...extensive-details-of-gaa-stars-alleged-fraud/

It's come to court.

Hurling legend DJ Carey is to stand trial accused of deception and forgery by persuading 23 people to donate funds after fraudulently claiming he needed money for cancer treatment.

The former Kilkenny GAA star faces 19 counts of deception and two charges for using false instruments between 2014 and 2022.

The five-time All-Ireland winner appeared before Judge John O'Leary at Blanchardstown District Court on Friday morning after gardaí obtained directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He was served with a book of evidence, returned for trial, and granted free legal aid. There was no objection to bail subject to a list of agreed conditions. Dressed in a dark puffer jacket and navy trousers, he stood silently in the dock, clutching his hat as the evidence was given.

He has yet to indicate a plea, and the monetary amounts allegedly involved were not disclosed during the brief hearing.

The names of the alleged donors were not read out in court.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41236981.html

 

[catseye]

I'm watching Social Catfish on YouTube. It is doing my blood pressure no good at all, so I may have to stop. A seventy year old man who truly believes all these gorgeous women contacting him are in love with him...

 

[ramonmercado]

I wonder... I'd have thought the BBC's Global Disinformation Team would have more important stories to check out.

There is no evidence that the diploma Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to the country's electoral commission was forged, the BBC's Global Disinformation Team has found.

Allegations that President Tinubu's certificates were faked went viral on social media following the release by Chicago State University (CSU) of his academic records last week.

We have looked at some of the most widely circulated claims.

The release of the president's academic documents is the culmination of a judicial case filed in August by one of his main rivals in February's presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67067854

 

[hunck]

Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone pleads guilty to fraud​

Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has pleaded guilty to fraud at Southwark crown court after failing to declare more than £400m of overseas assets to the UK government.

Ecclestone had pleaded not guilty to the charges in August, but changed his plea at a case management hearing on Thursday.

I just heard on the radio he's avoided jail & agreed to pay HMRC 650 million quid!!

 

[hunck]

More on Captain Tom & his daughter

Whether it’s fraud I don’t know but it’s smelly

Captain Tom’s daughter says family kept £800,000 from his books​

Hannah Ingram-Moore said the family kept the sum from three books because Captain Tom had wanted them to retain the profits.

Ingram-Moore told TalkTV: “These were my father’s books, and it was honestly such a joy for him to write them, but they were his books.

“He had an agent and they worked on that deal, and his wishes were that that money would sit in Club Nook, and in the end … ”

Morgan asked: “For you to keep?”, and she replied “Yes. Specifically.”

In an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, which is scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday, she said her father wanted his family to keep the profits in Club Nook Ltd, a firm separate from the Captain Tom Foundation charity.

The Captain Tom Foundation has been under investigation by the Charity Commission for more than a year in relation to potential conflicts of interest between the charity and businesses owned by Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin, as well as concerns over mismanagement and compliance with charity law.

The family told Morgan there was no suggestion that anyone buying the books, including autobiography Tomorrow Will be a Good Day, thought they were donating to charity.

Ingram-Moore also discussed the salary, reported to be £85,000 pro-rata on a rolling three month basis, that she received to head the foundation, which was formed in 2020.

She said: “Yes, and look, absolutely in hindsight, the two things should have been separated, but that’s not how it landed, and it was done with love and with trying to ensure that the community and the Captain Tom Foundation benefited, and yes I got paid.”

 

[brownmane]

More on Captain Tom & his daughter

Whether it’s fraud I don’t know but it’s smelly

Captain Tom’s daughter says family kept £800,000 from his books​

She said: “Yes, and look, absolutely in hindsight, the two things should have been separated, but that’s not how it landed, and it was done with love and with trying to ensure that the community and the Captain Tom Foundation benefited

Yes. Because omission of declaring money when operating a charity is always done with love.

 

[uair01]

Dutch accountants performing exam fraud:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/oh-the-irony.10794/post-2298623

 

[ramonmercado]

He finally has to sing for his supper,

Police in Spain's Blanca region arrested a gentleman who became infamous at local restaurants for eating a fancy dinner and then feigning a heart attack to avoid paying his bill. According to police, the unnamed Lithuanian gentleman, aged 50, has conned more than 20 restaurants out of a free meal.

From Oddity Central:

Last month, the Lithuanian man was at El Buen Comer, a restaurant in Alicante, enjoying some seafood paella and a few shots of whisky when the staff brought him the bill for 34.85 euros ($37). When the waiter left the table, he just got up and tried to leave, but he was stopped and notified that he still had to cover the bill. Visibly upset, the scammer said he was going to get the money from his hotel room, but the staff didn't let him leave. It was at this point that he started faking a heart attack.

The restaurant staff didn't fall for the theatrical performance, and instead of calling an ambulance, they notified the police. When the officers arrived at the scene, the seemingly ill man called for medical assistance, but what he didn't realize was that the policemen had already recognized him from run-ins at other restaurants in Alicante.

https://boingboing.net/2023/10/16/m...-dinner-bill-at-more-than-20-restaurants.html

 

[uair01]

He finally has to sing for his supper,

Police in Spain's Blanca region arrested a gentleman who became infamous at local restaurants for eating a fancy dinner and then feigning a heart attack to avoid paying his bill. According to police, the unnamed Lithuanian gentleman, aged 50, has conned more than 20 restaurants out of a free meal.

From Oddity Central:





https://boingboing.net/2023/10/16/m...-dinner-bill-at-more-than-20-restaurants.html

In the Netherlands we call that an "eetpiraat" = eating pirate, food pirate.

https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eetpiraterij

 

[Stormkhan]

Captain Tom spent his last days happy and working hard to raise money for the NHS etc.
It's a good thing he's sadly passed on.
The money he raised while living went to the NHS. After he died, the "Foundation" was formed.
His family seems to have made a nice little earner off him. But building a personal spa, which broke planning permission, plus the tidy sum obtained from his book realities, has apparently been a scam too far.

In a way, I hope he can't look down and see what his close family did to fund their own selfish life-style.
If power corrupts then money greases the machinery.

 

[Frideswide]

In the Netherlands we call that an "eetpiraat" = eating pirate, food pirate.

very nice indeed

 

[catseye]

I'm currently watching my way through David Wilson's Crime Files, Series 4, Scams and Scandals.

Covering lots of different types of fraud and scams. It's very interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00072vr

 

[cycleboy2]

Captain Tom spent his last days happy and working hard to raise money for the NHS etc.
It's a good thing he's sadly passed on.
The money he raised while living went to the NHS. After he died, the "Foundation" was formed.
His family seems to have made a nice little earner off him. But building a personal spa, which broke planning permission, plus the tidy sum obtained from his book realities, has apparently been a scam too far.

In a way, I hope he can't look down and see what his close family did to fund their own selfish life-style.
If power corrupts then money greases the machinery.

I have no issue with the family getting royalties from the book, unless it was stated that that money was going to charity I'm guessing as his heirs it's theirs to do with it as they want (whatever one may think), but the building of a personal spa and other issues are unconscionable and unforgivable. And so utterly, utterly shameful.

 

[catseye]

I have no issue with the family getting royalties from the book, unless it was stated that that money was going to charity I'm guessing as his heirs it's theirs to do with it as they want (whatever one may think), but the building of a personal spa and other issues are unconscionable and unforgivable. And so utterly, utterly shameful.

I don't know about Captain Tom, but I have had to state to my agent what I want to happen to my royalties when I die and who I want to deal with issues arising from any of my books. I named my agent to deal with the affairs and all my kids as beneficiaries. This has made me conclude that these things may be dealt with separately to other financial matters after someone dies.

 

[Herr Cloaca]

Captain Tom spent his last days happy and working hard to raise money for the NHS

No, it was for the Association of NHS Charities, a federation of over 250 charitable organisations.

 

[Stormkhan]

Either ways, the family are saying that Capt.Tom 'wanted' the royalties to go to them. They assert that any sales of the book 'have nothing to do with' the Foundation's funding. So ... they are denying that the impressive sales of the book has nothing to do with the publicity surrounding him, nor it being vaguely linked to fundraising.
Even though all the book promotion mentioned his fundraising efforts. The implication was there.

 

[catseye]

Either ways, the family are saying that Capt.Tom 'wanted' the royalties to go to them. They assert that any sales of the book 'have nothing to do with' the Foundation's funding. So ... they are denying that the impressive sales of the book has nothing to do with the publicity surrounding him, nor it being vaguely linked to fundraising.
Even though all the book promotion mentioned his fundraising efforts. The implication was there.

I wanted monies from sales of one of my novellas to go to a local scheme raising funds for a young girl's electric wheelchair battery replacements. I had to sign an awful lot of paperwork with my publisher, and again with my agent, lots of exceptions and things, just to make sure that the royalties went to the fund rather than to me. So I would have thought that, should Captain Tom or his publisher or anyone else have wanted the royalties to go to the charity, then all that paperwork would have been done at the time.

I've no time for his family generally, and think they are possibly a bunch of chancers, but I do think that he intended them to have the royalties from the book sales, because otherwise they would have been going direct to the charity.

 

[ramonmercado]

He;s a conman so this belongs here rather than in the Pranks Thread.

A popular YouTuber has apologised after a video titled I Travelled Across Japan For Free riled locals.

Fidias Panayiotou's video - which showed him dodging train fares and a five-star hotel breakfast bill, has earned almost half a million views.
Some have called for his arrest on social media and rail authorities are considering further action against him.

Good manners are highly prized in Japan and pranks that are deemed disrespectful are frowned upon.

"Hello beautiful people, I apologize to the Japanese people if we made them feel bad that was not our goal!" said the Cypriot YouTuber on Tuesday, after his video went viral over the weekend.

Mr Panayiotou describes himself as a "professional mistake maker" on his YouTube page, which has 2.4 million subscribers. He was joined by three other people in the Japan video, which was part of a $10,000 (£8,216) challenge.

At one point in the clip, he hides in a bullet train toilet and feigns illness when confronted by a conductor. He then runs off to board another train where he repeats the stunt.

Mr Panayiotou also begs for a bus fare from a stranger but is still 80 yen (£0.44; $0.53) short. He is then locked in the bus by the driver and taken to a police station, where he is detained for five hours before being released.

He later pretends to be a guest at a hotel in order to get a free breakfast. "And we're leaving the hotel without getting caught and without any problem," he says to the camera.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67213167

 

[Stormkhan]

He's got 'previous form' for tasteless YT attention-grabbing.
Before he did a video of him going to a 'poor' African country and being continually amazed at the conditions they live in, how they 'manage' to survive with so little consumer goods, and how he tried explaining - slowly - how great his smartphone was at accessing the worlds knowledge to a classroom full of children. When the teacher took out his own smartphone, he quickly moved to 'hide' the teacher and cut the segment short.
All in the spirit not of highlighting financial inequality but how much wealthier he was than anyone in the country!

 

[brownmane]

He's got 'previous form' for tasteless YT attention-grabbing.
Before he did a video of him going to a 'poor' African country and being continually amazed at the conditions they live in, how they 'manage' to survive with so little consumer goods, and how he tried explaining - slowly - how great his smartphone was at accessing the worlds knowledge to a classroom full of children. When the teacher took out his own smartphone, he quickly moved to 'hide' the teacher and cut the segment short.
All in the spirit not of highlighting financial inequality but how much wealthier he was than anyone in the country!

 

[uair01]

This is complex but worth the read, much weirdness:

VVD [Dutch liberal conservative party] expels Soumaya Sahla [a radicalization expert] for 'stealing' money from Frits Bolkestein [her mentor and ex-party leader]


The VVD has cancelled Soumaya Sahla's party membership with immediate effect. The reason is an extensive article by HP/De Tijd which states, among other things, that Sahla "defrauded" the very elderly and ill former VVD leader Frits Bolkestein of money. Sahla was convicted of being involved in terrorist activities as a member of the Hofstad Group; she spent three years in prison.

According to the Bolkestein family, the total amount involved was around 100,000 euros over three years. Sahla denies to HP/De Tijd that she profited from her mentor Bolkestein.

"The reason for the cancellation [of membership] is the just-published article by HP/De Tijd, in which the Bolkestein family reports that Ms Sahla defrauded our honorary member Frits Bolkestein of large sums of money in a vulnerable period," the VVD writes in a statement. "We have been in contact with the family and established the accuracy of the report."

Unexplained withdrawals
In the article, Martijn Bolkestein says his uncle paid the rent of her flat during a period when she was seriously ill, gave her "living money" and other "large" amounts. It also mentions "inexplicable" cash withdrawals with Bolkestein's debit card.

Sahla tells HP/De Tijd that Frits Bolkestein, who was considered her mentor, had offered to pay for her doctoral studies. "Frits then said very clearly: I will finance that," the magazine quotes her as saying.

The professor with whom Sahla is doing her PhD, Andreas Kinneging, confirms this to HP/De Tijd. "It was perfectly clear that he paid her and that he did so of his own free will, because he wanted to support her." According to Kinneging, there was nothing wrong with Bolkestein's mental capacity at the time.

Trashed
Almost two years ago, a fuss arose around Sahla's work for the VVD. PVV leader Geert Wilders lashed out at the VVD in a debate at the time because Sahla, as a former member of the Hofstadgroup [a Dutch radical islamist terrorist group, that murdered several famous people], had an advisory role with the party on terrorism [!!!]. Wilders was furious about this, partly because he was on the death list with that terrorist organisation.

VVD chairman Eric Wetzels referred to that period in his statement. "As a party, we gave Ms Sahla a second chance, which was not always easy given her conviction for terrorism." By "defrauding" money from Bolkestein "she has squandered that second chance in our view in a morally extremely reprehensible way", Wetzels said.

What was Soumaya Sahla convicted of?
Soumaya Sahla was arrested on 22 June 2005 with a cousin and a friend near Lelylaan station in Amsterdam on suspicion of terrorist activities. Their car included an automatic firearm. She was detained for almost three years, from 22 June 2005 to 5 May 2008.

The court in Rotterdam sentenced her to three years in prison for membership of a terrorist organisation with the aim of committing murders, and for possession of firearms. On appeal, she was also convicted by the court in The Hague for allegedly planning to attack one or more politicians, including Geert Wilders.

Sahla appealed to the Supreme Court, which annulled the court's ruling in 2011 and referred the case back to the Amsterdam court of appeal. The court ruled in 2014: she was again found guilty of membership of a terrorist organisation and firearm possession. According to the court, it could not be established that she intended to commit an attack.

Meanwhile, Soumaya Sahla had renounced her old ways of thinking and, she said, developed into a democrat and liberal. In 2019, she told Elsevier that this had already started in prison where she had studied political science and had good conversations with a humanist, a rabbi and a minister. Influenced by former VVD leader Frits Bolkestein, she is said to have then developed further in a liberal direction.

 

[PeteS]

Idly flicking through the news feeds I get bombarded with, I came across a lengthy article about an interview with Graham Norton and Rod Stewart, where the latter inadvertently let out his secret of making loads of money with a £250 stake and showed GN how to do it live on air. GN was amazed but the interesting thing was that the Bank of England rang the producers and got the interview stopped live on air.
There were many comments at the end from people who had made a fortune from a £250 with this particular company and a quick flick through Google showed lengthy articles from many financial commentators who came to the conclusion that the company on balance was wholly legitimate.
Except of course that the whole thing, all of it, is fake. I'd also forgotten that Graham Norton has been targeted by scammers who have included his name as a reference for their "legitimacy". Shows the lengths to which scammers will go to with fake articles fake commentators etc. It obviously involved crypto trading but simply a way of getting £250 and your bank details from you. I won't post a link or name the company because I suspect the links were dangerous anyway. (fortunately I have a virtually impenetrable fire wall)