Fraud

Trump Commutes George Santos Prison Sentence for Fraud and Identity Theft

| Importance: 7/10

President Trump commuted the seven-year prison sentence of former GOP Rep. George Santos after he served only three months, despite Santos pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in a donor scam. The commutation followed lobbying from Trump allies including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. …

Donald Trump George Santos Marjorie Taylor Greene corruption patronage abuse-of-power fraud
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Florida Officials Concealed $608 Million Federal Funding for Immigration Detention Facility

| Importance: 8/10

Florida officials concealed a $608 million federal funding request for an immigration detention facility nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ misleading courts about federal involvement to bypass environmental safeguards and legal challenges. The DeSantis administration’s secrecy …

DeSantis administration Florida officials Federal Courts Trump Administration corruption institutional-capture government-secrecy fraud
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Pro-Trump Fund Fraudulently Markets Fake Treasury Event, Sells Sponsorships

| Importance: 8/10

1789 Capital falsely marketed an ‘Inaugural U.S. Treasury A.I. Summit’ featuring Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, selling sponsorships with promised VIP access to senior government officials. The Treasury Department confirmed it never approved the materials or event. Organizers later …

1789 Capital Scott Bessent Treasury Department Corporate Sponsors systematic-corruption influence-peddling fraud pay-to-play
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SEC Drops Fraud Cases Against Trump Clemency Recipients, Abandoning Victims

| Importance: 9/10

The Securities and Exchange Commission under Trump-appointed chairman Paul Atkins abandoned civil enforcement cases seeking tens of millions in restitution from Devon Archer, Trevor Milton, and Carlos Watson—all convicted fraudsters pardoned or given clemency by Trump. The SEC filed joint …

Paul Atkins Devon Archer Trevor Milton Carlos Watson SEC +1 more corruption institutional-capture regulatory-capture impunity fraud +1 more
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Raytheon Pays $950 Million to Settle Charges of Defrauding Pentagon, Bribing Qatar, and Patriot Contract Fraud

| Importance: 9/10

On October 16, 2024, defense contractor RTX (formerly Raytheon) agreed to pay over $950 million to resolve Justice Department investigations into fraudulent billing schemes, foreign bribery, and export control violations spanning more than a decade. The settlement addressed three major criminal …

Raytheon Department of Justice Qatar Department of Defense Greg Hayes raytheon fraud bribery pentagon qatar +3 more
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Kylian Mbappé Twitter Account Hacked to Promote $464M Crypto Pump-and-Dump Scam

| Importance: 8/10

Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé’s official X (Twitter) account was compromised in a sophisticated phishing attack to promote a fraudulent $MBAPPE token on the Solana blockchain. The scam saw the token’s market cap rapidly surge to $464 million before crashing to less than $100,000 within …

Kylian Mbappé Unknown Hackers Sahil Arora crypto pump-and-dump celebrity social-media phishing +2 more
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Kylian Mbappé Twitter Account Hacked to Promote $464M Crypto Pump-and-Dump Scam

| Importance: 8/10

Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé’s official X (Twitter) account was compromised in a sophisticated crypto scam on August 29, 2024. Hackers used his 14.4 million follower account to launch a fraudulent $MBAPPE token on the Solana blockchain, which rapidly reached a $464 million market cap before …

Kylian Mbappé Unknown Hackers Sahil Arora crypto pump-and-dump celebrity social-media phishing +3 more
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Federal Agents Charge Two with 2 Million NFT 'Rug Pull' Money Laundering Scheme

| Importance: 8/10

HSI agents charged Devin Alan Rhoden (24, active-duty Air Force cyber analyst) and Berman Jerry Nowlin Jr. (20) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering through NFT schemes. The defendants created two NFT collections (‘UndeadApes’ and ‘Undead Lady Apes’) on …

Devin Alan Rhoden Berman Jerry Nowlin Jr. HSI DHS U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida nft money-laundering fraud blockchain federal-prosecution +3 more
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Federal Agents Charge Two with $400,000 NFT 'Rug Pull' Money Laundering Scheme

| Importance: 8/10

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa led a multi-agency investigation charging Devin Alan Rhoden, a senior military cyber analyst, and Berman Jerry Nowlin Jr., an NFT developer, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The defendants created three NFT collections …

Devin Alan Rhoden Berman Jerry Nowlin Jr. HSI DHS U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations +2 more nft money-laundering fraud blockchain federal-prosecution +3 more
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January 6th Committee Exposes "Big Rip-Off" - $250 Million Fraudulent Fundraising Scheme

| Importance: 8/10

House January 6th Committee’s second hearing revealed Trump raised $250 million post-election through fraudulent “Official Election Defense Fund” that never existed. Committee found Trump’s team sent up to 25 fraudulent fundraising emails daily, raising $100 million in first …

Donald Trump Trump Campaign Save America PAC House January 6th Committee Zoe Lofgren +1 more fraud campaign-finance kleptocracy january-6-committee big-lie +2 more
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Navient Settles for $1.85 Billion Over Student Loan Servicing Fraud - Steered Borrowers Into Costly Forbearances

| Importance: 8/10

A bipartisan coalition of 39 state attorneys general announced a $1.85 billion settlement with Navient Corporation on January 13, 2022, resolving allegations that the student loan servicing giant engaged in systematic fraud by steering struggling borrowers into costly long-term forbearances instead …

Navient Letitia James student-debt fraud loan-servicing navient
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Trump's Final Day Pardon Spree - 73 Pardons Including Bannon and Broidy

| Importance: 9/10

In his final hours as president, Donald Trump issued 73 pardons and 70 commutations—143 acts of clemency in a single day, overwhelming the typical pardon process and demonstrating systematic corruption of executive power. The pardons went almost exclusively to political allies, campaign donors, and …

Donald Trump Steve Bannon Elliott Broidy Ken Kurson Paul Manafort +2 more Pardons Corruption Abuse-of-Power Fraud Pay-to-Play
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Boeing Pays $2.5 Billion in Deferred Prosecution Deal, Zero Executives Charged for 346 Deaths

| Importance: 10/10

The Department of Justice charged Boeing with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the 737 MAX evaluation and entered a deferred prosecution agreement requiring Boeing to pay $2.5 billion in penalties. Despite evidence that Boeing executives knowingly deceived the …

Department of Justice Boeing 346 crash victims Victims' families Criminal Division Fraud Section boeing deferred-prosecution corporate-crime impunity 737-max +2 more
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Boeing Internal Messages Released - "Designed by Clowns, Supervised by Monkeys"

| Importance: 9/10

Boeing released hundreds of internal messages to Congressional investigators and the FAA on January 9, 2020, revealing that employees knew the 737 MAX was unsafe, mocked regulators, and conspired to deceive certification authorities. In one April 2017 exchange, just before the aircraft’s first …

Boeing employees Federal Aviation Administration Department of Justice House Transportation Committee Senator Richard Blumenthal boeing 737-max internal-communications regulatory-capture fraud +1 more
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Northrop Grumman Pays $5.2 Million for Fraudulent USPS Contract Labor Billing

| Importance: 7/10

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation agreed to pay $5.2 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it fraudulently billed the United States Postal Service for personnel who lacked the required education and experience qualifications specified in their contract labor categories. The …

Northrop Grumman Department of Justice U.S. Postal Service USPS Office of Inspector General Defense Contractors Fraud False Claims Act Contractor Abuse Accountability +1 more
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University of Phoenix Enrollment Collapses 80% After Fraud Investigations - $191M FTC Settlement

| Importance: 7/10

The University of Phoenix’s enrollment collapsed from a peak of 470,000 students in 2010 to approximately 95,000 by fall 2018—an 80% decline—as federal and state investigations exposed systematic fraud including deceptive advertising that falsely promised job opportunities with major companies …

University of Phoenix Apollo Education Group Federal Trade Commission for-profit-colleges fraud student-debt university-of-phoenix
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Northrop Grumman Pays $31.65 Million for Fraudulent Overbilling of Air Force Contracts

| Importance: 8/10

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation agreed to pay $31.65 million to settle civil and criminal charges for systematically defrauding the U.S. Air Force by overbilling labor hours on battlefield communications contracts between January 2011 and October 2013. The settlement included $27.45 million for …

Northrop Grumman Department of Justice U.S. Air Force Defense Criminal Investigative Service FBI +1 more Defense Contractors Fraud Military-Industrial Complex False Claims Act Pentagon Contracts +2 more
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Judge Finalizes Trump University Settlement After Appeal Resolved, Victims Receive Payments

| Importance: 8/10

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel issued a final order on April 10, 2018 concluding the Trump University litigation and authorizing distribution of the $25 million settlement to approximately 3,730 victims who would receive at least 90 percent of their money back. The finalization came more than a …

Gonzalo Curiel Donald Trump Trump University Fraud Settlement Consumer Protection Accountability
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Judge Curiel Approves $25 Million Trump University Settlement, Victims to Receive 90% Refunds

| Importance: 8/10

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel approved the $25 million Trump University settlement on March 31, 2017, clearing the way for approximately 3,730 victims to receive refunds of at least 90 percent of the money they spent on Trump University courses. The approval came four months after Trump agreed …

Gonzalo Curiel Donald Trump Trump University Fraud Settlement Consumer Protection Accountability
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Google Manipulates Ad Auctions Through "Project Bernanke" to Favor Own Exchange

| Importance: 10/10

In 2017, Google’s secret “Project Bernanke” was in full operation—a systematic auction manipulation scheme that used insider information and algorithmic deception to advantage Google’s own ad-buying platform while harming both publishers and competing advertisers. The …

Google Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Publishers Advertisers Google Ads platform google ad-tech auction-manipulation project-bernanke fraud +2 more
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Trump Settles Trump University Fraud Cases for $25 Million, 10 Days After Election Victory

| Importance: 9/10

Donald Trump agreed on November 18, 2016 to pay $25 million to settle all three Trump University fraud lawsuits—two class actions and the New York Attorney General civil suit—just 10 days after winning the presidential election and less than two weeks before the San Diego class action was scheduled …

Donald Trump Gonzalo Curiel Eric Schneiderman Trump University Fraud Settlement Consumer Protection Accountability
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ITT Tech Closes All 130 Campuses - 35,000 Students Stranded With Worthless Degrees and Non-Dischargeable Debt

| Importance: 8/10

ITT Technical Institute abruptly shut down all 130 campuses across 38 states on September 6, 2016, stranding approximately 35,000 students mid-semester and displacing 8,000 employees. The closure came after the Department of Education banned ITT from enrolling new students receiving federal aid and …

ITT Technical Institute Department of Education Ted Mitchell for-profit-colleges student-debt itt-tech fraud
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Trump University Victims Testify to Losing Retirement Savings, Disability Income to Fraudulent Scheme

| Importance: 8/10

Court documents and victim testimony released in June 2016 revealed the devastating human cost of Trump University’s fraudulent scheme, with students testifying they lost retirement savings, disability income, and home equity after being pressured into purchasing courses costing up to $35,000. …

Donald Trump Ronald Schnackenberg George Hanus Trump University Fraud Consumer Protection Victim Testimony Elder Abuse
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Judge Unseals Trump University Documents Revealing Predatory Sales Playbook Targeting Vulnerable Consumers

| Importance: 9/10

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel ordered the unsealing of over 400 pages of Trump University documents on May 31, 2016, revealing internal sales “playbooks” that detailed aggressive, predatory tactics designed to extract maximum money from vulnerable consumers. The documents exposed …

Gonzalo Curiel Donald Trump Ronald Schnackenberg Trump University Fraud Consumer Protection Court Documents Sales Tactics +1 more
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Northrop Grumman Pays $11.4 Million for Illegally Billing Executive Compensation to Federal Contracts

| Importance: 8/10

Northrop Grumman Corporation paid the United States $11.4 million to settle government claims that it violated a 2002 settlement agreement with the Defense Contract Management Agency by improperly charging federal contracts for deferred compensation awards to key executives, demonstrating how …

Northrop Grumman Department of Justice Defense Contract Management Agency Defense Contract Audit Agency Defense Contractors Fraud False Claims Act Executive Compensation Contractor Abuse +2 more
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Corinthian Colleges Files Bankruptcy After Defrauding 72,000 Students - Executives Shield Assets

| Importance: 8/10

Corinthian Colleges abruptly shut down all 28 of its remaining campuses on April 26, 2015, stranding 16,000 students mid-semester, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 4, 2015, after months of federal and state investigations exposed systematic fraud affecting over 72,000 students. …

Corinthian Colleges Jack Massimino for-profit-colleges student-debt bankruptcy-law fraud corinthian-colleges
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Federal Government Cuts Off Corinthian Colleges - 72,000 Students Trapped by Fraud

| Importance: 8/10

The U.S. Department of Education imposed a 21-day hold on all federal aid flowing to Corinthian Colleges on June 12, 2014, after the for-profit chain—operating as Everest College, WyoTech, and Heald College—refused to provide documentation substantiating falsified job placement rates. The action …

Department of Education Corinthian Colleges Arne Duncan for-profit-colleges student-debt fraud corinthian-colleges
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New York Attorney General Sues Trump University for $40 Million, Calls It "Straight Up Fraud"

| Importance: 9/10

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (formerly Trump University LLC), and Michael Sexton on August 24, 2013, alleging “persistent fraudulent, illegal and deceptive conduct.” Schneiderman …

Eric Schneiderman Donald Trump Michael Sexton Trump University Fraud Consumer Protection New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman +1 more
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GAO Investigation Exposes Systemic For-Profit College Fraud - Industry Takes 25% of Federal Aid

| Importance: 8/10

A Government Accountability Office investigation released on August 4, 2010, exposed systemic fraud and deceptive practices across the for-profit college industry, revealing that while these institutions enrolled only 10-12% of all higher education students, they received 25% of all federal …

Government Accountability Office Tom Harkin for-profit-colleges student-debt fraud regulatory-capture
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Trump University Changes Name to "Trump Entrepreneur Initiative" Under Pressure from NY Education Department

| Importance: 8/10

In June 2010, Trump University changed its name to “The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative” following sustained pressure from the New York State Education Department, which had repeatedly warned since 2005 that the organization was illegally using the term “university” without …

Donald Trump Michael Sexton Joseph Frey Trump University Fraud Education Fraud New York Regulatory Evasion
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Better Business Bureau Drops Trump University Rating to D- After Flood of Consumer Complaints

| Importance: 8/10

The Better Business Bureau issued Trump University a D- rating in 2010, the lowest rating the enterprise received during its active operations. The rating resulted from multiple consumer complaints the BBB received documenting deceptive practices, high-pressure sales tactics, and unfulfilled …

Donald Trump Michael Sexton Trump University Fraud Consumer Protection Better Business Bureau Education Fraud
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Robo-Signing Scandal Exposed Systematic Foreclosure Document Fraud

| Importance: 8/10

Investigation reveals major banks systematically falsified foreclosure documents through ‘robo-signing’, affecting 3.8 million homes. Employees at major lenders signed thousands of foreclosure affidavits without verifying information, creating a massive documentation fraud that …

Bank of America JPMorgan Chase Wells Fargo Citigroup GMAC financial-crisis fraud foreclosure-abuse perjury
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Northrop Grumman Pays $325 Million for Decade of Defective Spy Satellite Parts

| Importance: 9/10

Northrop Grumman Corporation and its predecessor TRW Inc. agreed to pay $325 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that they provided and billed the National Reconnaissance Office for defective microelectronic parts used in classified spy satellites over a decade-long period from 1992 to …

Northrop Grumman TRW Inc. Department of Justice National Reconnaissance Office Robert Ferro +1 more Defense Contractors Fraud False Claims Act Whistleblowers Intelligence Agencies +3 more
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Jack Abramoff Sentenced to 48 Months Prison and $23 Million Restitution

| Importance: 7/10

Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $23,134,695 in restitution for his role in the massive congressional corruption scandal. This Washington D.C. sentencing was for conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, honest services fraud involving …

Jack Abramoff Michael Scanlon Native American Tribes U.S. District Court Department of Justice +4 more corruption lobbying abramoff sentencing restitution +2 more
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General Dynamics Pays $4 Million to Settle Fraud Charges for Defective Submarine and Aircraft Parts

| Importance: 8/10

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products agreed to pay $4,058,750 to settle federal fraud charges that it defectively manufactured or failed to properly test components for Navy aircraft and submarines, then fraudulently billed the government despite knowing the equipment did not meet …

General Dynamics Benton J. Campbell Defense Criminal Investigative Service Navy defense-contractors fraud general-dynamics submarines department-of-justice
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Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty in 5M Corruption Scandal

| Importance: 8/10

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, exposing one of the largest congressional corruption scandals in modern U.S. history. Abramoff and partner Michael Scanlon defrauded Native American tribes of 5 million through inflated lobbying fees and secret kickbacks. The …

Jack Abramoff Michael Scanlon Bob Ney Tom DeLay Steven Griles +2 more corruption lobbying abramoff congress bribery +1 more
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Trump Launches "Trump University" Real Estate Seminars Without Academic License or Accreditation

| Importance: 8/10

Donald Trump formally launched “Trump University” on May 23, 2005, a real estate training program that operated without proper academic licensing or accreditation. The enterprise, incorporated in 2004 with Trump owning 93% of the company, conducted three- and five-day seminars marketed …

Donald Trump Michael Sexton Trump University Fraud Consumer Protection Education Fraud Business Ethics
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Coalition Provisional Authority Loses .8B in Iraqi Oil Revenue

| Importance: 8/10

The Coalition Provisional Authority under Paul Bremer lost track of .8 billion in Iraqi oil revenues during the 14-month occupation period (May 2003-June 2004), representing one of the largest financial oversight failures in U.S. history. Nearly 2 billion in cash (363 tons) was shipped on C-130 …

Paul Bremer Coalition Provisional Authority Stuart Bowen Halliburton Iraqi Government cpa iraq-reconstruction fraud paul-bremer missing-billions
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Tigua Casino Closes After Abramoff Double-Dealing Scheme Success

| Importance: 8/10

Jack Abramoff orchestrated a complex lobbying scheme involving the Tigua tribe’s Speaking Rock Casino, first helping to lobby for its closure through Texas legislation, and then charging the tribe $4.2 million to allegedly reopen the casino. The case exemplifies Abramoff’s fraudulent …

Jack Abramoff Michael Scanlon Tigua Tribe Ralph Reed Texas Legislature abramoff tigua-tribe texas-gambling double-dealing fraud +1 more
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Lincoln Savings Seized: $2.3 Billion Loss Exposes Keating Fraud Network

| Importance: 9/10

Federal regulators seize Lincoln Savings and Loan, ending Charles Keating’s systematic fraud scheme that ultimately costs taxpayers $2.3 billion—one of the costliest S&L failures in American history. The seizure comes after years of regulatory delays caused by political interference from …

Charles Keating Federal Home Loan Bank Board Resolution Trust Corporation Lincoln Savings and Loan Keating Five Senators charles-keating lincoln-savings s&l-crisis fraud seizure +1 more
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Silverado S&L Collapses: Neil Bush Conflict of Interest Costs Taxpayers $1 Billion

| Importance: 8/10

Silverado Savings and Loan collapses with losses exceeding $1 billion to taxpayers, exposing serious conflicts of interest involving Neil Bush, son of Vice President-elect George H.W. Bush. Neil Bush served on Silverado’s board of directors from 1985-1988, during which he approved over $130 …

Neil Bush George H.W. Bush Silverado Savings and Loan Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Good International +1 more neil-bush silverado s&l-crisis conflict-of-interest fraud +1 more
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Charles Keating Purchases Lincoln S&L: Systematic Fraud Network

| Importance: 8/10

Charles Keating, through American Continental Corporation, purchases Lincoln Savings and Loan for $51 million. Exploiting the deregulated environment created by Garn-St Germain, Keating rapidly expands Lincoln’s assets from $1.1 billion to $5.5 billion over four years through high-risk real …

Charles Keating American Continental Corporation Lincoln Savings and Loan Keating Five Senators Federal Home Loan Bank Board charles-keating lincoln-savings fraud keating-five regulatory-capture +1 more
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S&L Deregulation Creates Moral Hazard: Recipe for Systematic Fraud

| Importance: 8/10

Reagan-era S&L deregulation creates massive moral hazard by combining three toxic elements: elimination of prudential lending standards, expanded federal deposit insurance covering risky investments, and weakened regulatory oversight. The Garn-St. Germain Act removes Depression-era constraints …

Ronald Reagan Savings and Loan industry Federal Home Loan Bank Board Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation s&l-crisis moral-hazard deregulation fraud deposit-insurance
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