Fraud | featured news

A U.S. government crackdown on suspected identity thieves filing false tax returns stopped $1.4 billion in bad refunds from being sent out in calendar 2011, the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service said on Tuesday.

Up to 1 million Russians are ready to take to the streets to protest against a disputed election and Vladimir Putin's "corrupt regime" is unlikely to hold on to power for more than two years, protest leader Alexei Navalny said on Friday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has brought civil fraud charges against six former top executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying they misled the government and taxpayers about risky subprime mortgages the mortgage giants held during the housing bust....

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a probe into allegations of electoral fraud during the Dec. 4 parliamentary vote.

Jodie Foster's estranged father faces more than 25 years behind bars after being convicted of bilking more than $100,000 from the poor and elderly in a home-building scheme....

Sources very close to Kris Humphries tell TMZ ... Kris is gunning for an annulment based on fraud because he feels "he was just slotted in the plot line of Kim Kardashian's latest headline and newest business venture."

Federal authorities have shut down 150 websites accused of selling knock-off or pirated merchandise to unsuspecting online bargain hunters. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer announced the results of the ICE and FBI three-month investigation on "Cyber Monday," the day that for many shoppers kicks off the online holiday shopping season.

Waiters allegedly skimmed customer data and passed it to associates who made counterfeit cards to buy luxury merchandise and sell it.

The Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday that it had seen emails and documents showing that The Wall Street Journal funneled money through third parties to a company that was buying up copies of the Journal and boosting its European circulation....

Here we go again. About two weeks ago, I reported that a new version of bogus IRS email was making the rounds with a notice about EINs and Home-care Service Recipients. Now, there's another version - and this one may trap a few unsuspecting taxpayers since the wording is a bit more sophisticated ...