News Articles Archives - Page 6 of 8

[UK] Trainee solicitor guilty of car clocking fraud

A trainee solicitor has been found guilty of being part of a car clocking ring which generated thousands of pounds. Karmjit Sohal, aged 24, allowed thousands of pounds in cash to pass through her bank account to trade vehicles in the racket which also involved her brother Inderjit Singh Sohal and a cousin called Jatinder Sandher. The operation was based at Enzo Motors, inGreat Bridge Street, WestBromwich, and Netherton Motors, inHalesowen Road, Netherton. Vehicles were bought and sold days later with thousands of pounds added to the price and up to 144,000-miles removed from the odometer reading between December 2009 and February 2011, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Sohal had claimed she was ‘too busy studying law’ to be involved but jurors unanimously found her guilty after spending just under an hour and a half deliberating at the end of a four day trial yesterday afternoon. The jury of nine women and three men returned guilt verdicts on two charges of conspiracy to defraud. Judge Mark Eades asked the jury to deliver a verdict of not guilty on a third charge of converting criminal property after prosecutors offered no evidence. Inderjit Singh Sohal and Jatinder Sandher along with two others, Sundeep and Pardeep Shinh – have already admitted their involvement in the racket. The court previously heard police officers seized £10,000 in cash in a raid on Karmjit Sohal’s family home in Willenhall from inside a safe in the garage which also contained paperwork. However during interview with trading standards officials she claimed she withdrew the cash over fears it could be stolen from her account if she lost her debit card . TheKeeleUniversitygraduate had also denied knowledge of some transactions on her debit card, including a sum of £2,071 paid at an auction in Wednesbury for a W-reg Mercedes C220. … Continue Reading

Insurance fraud mastermind sent to jail for 4 years

BY LORRAINE NICKEL GLOBAL NEWS It’s believed Manitoba Public Insurance was defrauded of more than $800,000. Global News/File A man considered the mastermind of the largest defrauding of Manitoba Public Insurance in history is going to jail. Quincy Adurogboye, 33, of Winnipeg, pleaded guilty and was convicted of eight counts of fraud in what police called Project Rollback in 2009. Wednesday, a judge sentenced him to four years behind bars and ordered him to pay back $150,000 to MPI, only a portion of what he fraudulently received from the corporation. About 40 people were arrested and charged for their involvement in an elaborate scheme to defraud the insurance company by rolling back the odometer readings of recently purchased vehicles, staging collisions in Winnipeg and then reporting the vehicles as stolen. It’s believed the scheme cost MPI more than $800,000. “This crime is extraordinary,” said Justice Chris Martin. Martin also sentenced Norm Beardy, 44, to an 18-month conditional sentence to be served in the community and 150 hours of community service. Beardy was ordered to pay back $8,000 to MPI, only 10 per cent of the amount he was involved in scamming. Original Article: http://globalnews.ca/news/892250/insurance-fraud-mastermind-sent-to-jail-for-4-years/

Top 10 consumer complaints

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) by Melanie Hicken @melhickenAugust 1, 2013: 10:03 AM ET Issues with auto sales and repairs once again topped the Consumer Federation of America’s annual list of consumer complaints. Shady auto dealers, shoddy construction work and incessant debt collectors were once again among the most common targets of consumer gripes last year. Towing disputes and feuds between landlords and tenants were the two fasting growing complaints, while mortgage assistance scams and door-to-door meat sales were new problems on the list, according to the Consumer Federation of America’s annual report. The list, released Wednesday, is the result of survey responses from 40 state and local consumer protection agencies in 20 states. The complaints come as budget cuts and limited resources continue to squeeze the agencies, which fielded more than 350,000 complaints collectively last year, according to the report. “Whether it’s an offer on the Internet or meat being sold door-to-door out of the back of a truck, consumers need to be careful in today’s marketplace,” Amber Capoun, president of the North American Consumer Protection Investigators which helped conduct the survey, said in a statement. Related: Sneaky credit card charges can cost you hundreds 1. Auto Issues with auto sales once again topped the list. Car shoppers reported misleading advertising for new and used cars, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes and getting suckered into buying lemons. One California consumer noticed mechanical problems with her used car within a week of purchasing it, while an elderly Florida woman paid more than $1,000 for repairs that left her car undriveable, according to the report. 2. Home Improvement/Construction Home owners griped of shoddy work, as well as failure to start or finish the work altogether. A New Jersey awning company cited by the report would disappear after signing a contract and pocketing a $1,300 deposit. Related: Debt … Continue Reading

With Smarter Cars, The Doors Are Open To Hacking Dangers

Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller have been hacking into products for a long time. But they don’t steal stuff or mess with people; instead, their purpose is to pressure companies into making their products more secure. This week, they scored big. Their research on hacking cars has captured the attention of millions and has been featured in Forbes and on the Today show. Miller and Valasek are not the first guys to hack a car, but they demonstrated like few have before just how dangerous these kinds of attacks could be. “That’s really where Charlie and I came in,” says Valasek, a security researcher at IOActive. “We really wanted to see, once someone was inside your car network, to what extent could you control the automobile?” The pair got a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and bought two modern, connected cars: a Toyota Prius and a Ford Escape. Then they tapped into the network of little built-in computers that run on virtually every car sold today. Car makers began embedding electronic control units, or ECUs, in cars more than 30 years ago. These simple little computers were developed during the first gas crisis. Initially, they were used as tiny computerized carburetors. “Engineers figured out that computers were much better at figuring out how to mix gas and air than a mechanical device,” Valasek says. “They were much more efficient and you could get better gas mileage.” But soon these little computers were being used for a lot of things, like cruise control or anti-lock brakes. “Now we’re to the point where cars parallel park themselves,” Valasek says. “And that’s not just magic. There’s computers in the car that have sensors and actuators.” Remote Control Havoc All these little devices talk to each other on an open network. They listen in to … Continue Reading

Mishawaka car dealer charged with odometer fraud

A Mishawaka car dealer is arrested and accused of rolling back the odometers. Adame Scott, 28, was arrested on Wednesday and charged Thursday with two counts of odometer fraud. His mechanic told police he was ordered to roll back the odometers. A day after the search warrant was executed Scott’s Auto Sales was closed. Police seized several odometers, five cars and paperwork with customer names to hopefully contact other victims. It’s been in business for about a year. Police started getting several complaints about the business. Lieutant Regis Thimons from the St. Joseph County Police says, “The biggest concern we have as police officers is the danger that it puts the public in, when they are driving a vehicle that has only been road worthy for 80 thousand miles when it is actually been on the road 252 thousand, that’s a big discrepancy.” One woman says she bought a Chevy Impala in April. She says she paid 45-hundred dollars for the Impala that had 80 thousand miles. After doing some digging she found out it was actually scrapped for 400 hundred dollars with 250 some thousand miles. Police don’t know how many cars were sold with the incorrect odometer readings so they are asking people to call them. You can call St. Joseph County Police at (574) 217 – 5150. Original Article: http://www.wndu.com/news/headlines/Mishawaka-car-dealer-charged-with-odometer-fraud-215154871.html?ref=871

Buying A Used Car? Check For Odometer Fraud

Buying a used car is already risky business, and this story of fraud in New York will have you double checking your paperwork.Matin Jarmuz used Craigslist.com to sell his 1992 Toyota Camry. According to Jarmuz’s Craigslist post, at 21-years-old and 200,000 miles the Camry still had a smooth, quite ride. He sold the car quickly to Chris Sciolino for $900 cash. Jarmuz thought he had made a good deal, until other Craigslist users alerted him that his old Camry was up for sale again by the same man he just sold it to, only this time listed at $1,800 and with 79,000 miles. Odometer fraud is a serious problem in the U.S. In a 2002 study the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that close to half a million cars are sold each year with false odometer readings, at a cost of more than of $1 billion dollars annually. Since the study was done, the Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations has seen an escalation in cases. Fixing an odometer is a federal crime, one made much easier on newer cars where, instead of cracking open a dashboard, sellers just need to hack the onboard computer. How do you protect yourself? First, always check the paperwork. Titles are required by law to list the mileage of a vehicle every time it changes hands, although cars older then 10 years don’t have this requirement. For older cars, checking with a cars history with sites like CarFax.com can revel a car’s true mileage. Also check the wear on the pedals and ignition of the car, if it seems more worn down then the miles suggest you could be looking at fraud. When WIVB 4 called Sciolino playing the part of an interested buyer they found another savvy shopper had already called him on the mileage discrepancy. When the reporter then asked to see the title the car was suddenly … Continue Reading

Woman says Milton Motor wasn’t honest about vehicle’s condition

CHARLESTON – Milton Motor Used Auto Sales LLC is being sued after a woman claims it was not honest with her about the condition of a vehicle she purchased. On May 2, 2012, Patricia Davis entered into a motor vehicle purchase contract with the defendant for the purchase of a 2001 Ford Explorer, according to a complaint filed June 21 in Kanawha Circuit Court. Davis claims she specifically asked the defendant about the quality, durability and value of the vehicle and was assured the vehicle was a good, dependable car. The defendant represented the vehicle had no history or prior problems or damage when in fact, the vehicle had been previously extensively damaged, including apparent damage resulting from submersion in flood waters or other waters and the dealer had actual knowledge of the damage or should have discovered the damage upon reasonable inspection, according to the suit. Davis claims the defendant failed and/or omitted to inform her the mileage indicated on the vehicle’s odometer was inaccurate and failed and/or omitted to delivery any written odometer statement, as required by law. The defendant was negligent and its conduct constituted general unfair or deceptive acts or practices, in violation of West Virginia code, according to the suit. Davis is seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. She is being represented by Cameron S. McKinney and David L. Grubb of the Grubb Law Group. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Charles E. King. Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 13-C-1169 Original Article: http://wvrecord.com/news/261179-woman-says-milton-motor-wasnt-honest-about-vehicles-condition

Fort Bragg Soldier Arrested and Faces Identity Theft Charges in Court on Monday

By Kelly Twedell, Patch Staff Jul 14, 2013 1:27 am ET | Updated Jul 14, 2013 10:00 am ET How does a soldier in the U.S. Army for over 20 years get away with stealing someone’s identity? Though his security clearances are now revoked and he is in jail – how did he get this far along in the Army?Known to peers at Fort Bragg by Gerald Morrone, his actual identity is William Anthony Morrone, Jr. and his past has finally caught up with him. The soldier is now in jail and is facing charges in other states. Marrone was arrested on May 2, 2013. The soldier was recently flown back from Montana for his trial and will be return for his sentencing after Monday’s court-martial. Morrone also faces charges in Indiana regarding obtaining a license under his brother’s name and other fraudulent charges according to a local source who knows the family. Acting on a complaint from U.S. Army Military Police Investigations, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles’ License and Theft Bureau on April 9 arrested a soldier formerly performing the duties of Garrison Operations Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Bragg, and charged him with 21 felonies in connection with vehicle purchases using his brother’s identity according to a NC DOT news release. DMV License and Theft Bureau inspectors determined that William Anthony Morrone Jr. used his brother’s name and identity documents to trade and purchase vehicles in 2009 and in 2012 at dealerships in Catawba and Cumberland counties. Morrone, believed to be about 53 years old, is a resident of Fayetteville. He also faces pending court martial charges at Fort Bragg. According to reports, Morrone traded a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee for the purchase of a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee on January 12, 2009 at Steve White … Continue Reading

Raleigh man pleads guilty to odometer fraud

A North Raleigh man pleaded guilty Thursday to tampering with the odometer of cars he sold and charging buyers far more than the vehicles were really worth. Francis Tendayi Marimo, 39, was arrested in February 2012 and charged with change of mileage violations, obtaining property by false pretenses and acting as a dealer without a license. He will be sentenced some time in September. Federal agents started investigating Marimo after local car buyers realized the mileage on their vehicles wasn’t right. He pleaded guilty to two instances, one in which he rolled back the odometer by 100,000 miles. Investigators have said they believe he was involved in many more cases between 2008 and 2012. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends these tips for buyers of used cars: Ask to see the title and compare the mileage on it with the vehicle’s odometer. Examine the title closely if the mileage notation seems obscured or is not easy to read. Compare the mileage on the odometer with the mileage on the vehicle’s maintenance or inspection records. Search for oil change and maintenance stickers on windows or door frames, in the glove box or under the hood. Examine the tires. If the odometer on the car shows 20,000 or less, it should have the original tires. Look at the wear and tear on the vehicle – especially the gas, brake and clutch pedals – to be sure it seems consistent with and appropriate for the number of miles displayed on the odometer. Request a Carfax Vehicle History Report to check for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle’s history. If the seller does not have a vehicle history report, use the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to order a Carfax vehicle history report online.

Car buyer cries fraud after discovering odometer has been rolled back

Keisy Fernandez poses with her 2006 Chrysler 300C outside her home on Friday, April 5, 2013. Fernandez purchased the vehicle at Affordable Motors in Miami. The odometer read 56,447 miles at the time of purchase, but was found to actually have 186,000 miles according to a vehicle summary report made by the Chevy dealership this past February. A few months later, she wanted to upgrade and another dealership offered to buy the car from her. But when that company ran a check on the car’s history, there was a problem. Fernandez’s odometer had been rolled back. When she purchased the car in April 2012 from Affordable Motors, the odometer showed 56,447 miles. That turned out to be untrue. The actual mileage was 187,677, miles at the time Fernandez purchased it. Affordable Motors said it has nothing to do with the mileage discrepancy. “There was a problem before us,” said Affordable Motors owner Felisberto “Felix” Sanchez. “The problem was not us. She’s probably right, but the problem was with a previous out of town dealer.” Sanchez said he runs checks on all his vehicles and nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the Chrysler he sold to Fernandez. Odometer fraud is a national problem, but consumers can take steps to protect themselves. In Fernandez’s case, she did not see her vehicle’s Carfax. The Carfax would have provided a history report for her Chrysler including any possible odometer discrepancies. “If I could do it again, I would absolutely make sure I see the Carfax first.” Federal law requires the vehicle seller to certify to the best or his or her knowledge that the odometer reflects the actual mileage, or that the seller knows there is an odometer discrepancy, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On Sanchez’s certificate of title from … Continue Reading

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Working to deter odometer and title fraud

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