Tag: fraud

Ellison lashes out at reporter over $8B fraud question

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison snapped at a reporter regarding his handling of the Minnesota fraud scandal after Vice President JD Vance demanded Ellison to be investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) amid a widely reported $8 billion Medicaid fraud scheme.

After a Fox News reporter inquired if there was anything Ellison would have done differently prior to the $8 billion fraud accusations, the attorney general replied quickly.

“So, that is a false number,” Ellison said. “The fact is, is that fraud is always wrong.”

“Why don’t you give me a break, man?” he continued. “Fraud is always wrong. We prosecute over 341 cases of Medicaid fraud.”

When the reporter stated he had wanted Ellison to clear up the number and was citing a variety of reports, Ellison continued to accuse the journalist of biased reporting.

“The number you mentioned is tightly identified with people of a very unique political persuasion—aligned with the Trump Administration,” the attorney general claimed

“It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing to the Fox News reporter.

“So, I’m done talking to you,” he snapped. “Bye-bye.”

The $8 billion figure has been frequently referenced by the House Oversight Committee as well as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who have stated that potentially billions of dollars were lost to fraud in Minnesota’s public assistance programs.

Thompson stated that investigators believe that about half of the $18 billion paid through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been part of a major fraud scheme.

The scandal captured national headlines due to congressional probes and numerous major fraud cases tied to federally funded programs in nutrition, education and Medicaid. Prosecutors also claim several nonprofits tapped off millions in taxpayer funds through sophisticated schemes, many of which expanded amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prominent examples, such as the Feeding Our Future scheme, have been linked to Minnesota’s Somali community. Investigators for the House Oversight Committee have also asserted that Ellison received several warnings about widespread fraud years before the scandal became public, based on interviews with state education, human services and executive branch officials.

Keep reading

8 Frightening Forecasts For The Future Of Fraud

Fraud is entering a new era. Businesses across North America expect fraud trends like biometric fraud, deepfake scams, and synthetic identities to become more common in 2026 as criminals adopt faster and more sophisticated tools.

This visualization, created by Visual Capitalist’s Julia Wendling, in partnership with Inigo for the Fraud in Data campaign’s sixth post, uses data from the Sumsub Fraud Report 2025 to explore the fraud trends businesses believe will shape the future of digital risk.

Biometric Fraud Could Become the Biggest Threat

Surveyed businesses expect biometric fraud to rise the most, with 67% predicting an increase. As companies rely more on facial recognition, voice authentication, and remote onboarding, fraudsters are finding new ways to exploit those systems.

Deepfake technology is already making identity verification harder. In the future, AI-generated videos, cloned voices, and stolen biometric data could make fraud attempts more convincing and more scalable than ever before.

Businesses also expect synthetic identity fraud to grow, with 56% anticipating a rise. Criminals are increasingly combining real and fake information to create identities that can bypass traditional fraud checks.

AI and Deepfakes Are Changing Fraud Trends

Businesses expect fraud attacks to become more automated in 2026. Around 44% predict increases in advanced AI-driven attacks, deepfake scams, and forged identity documents.

Another 33% expect AI-generated fake profiles to rise as fraudsters use generative AI tools to impersonate real users online. These scams could become faster to produce and harder to detect across financial services, ecommerce, and digital platforms.

As fraud tactics evolve, businesses may need to shift from reactive fraud prevention toward real-time risk monitoring powered by machine learning and behavioral analysis.

Data Breaches Will Continue to Fuel Identity Fraud

Data breaches are expected to remain a major source of fraud risk. About 33% of businesses anticipate more identity theft linked to stolen personal data.

Organized fraud networks are also expanding, according to 22% of respondents. As cybercriminal groups become more coordinated, fraud operations could become increasingly global and industrialized.

The Future of Fraud Trends

Companies that invest in adaptive verification systems, stronger cybersecurity, and understand the data around fraud prevention may be better positioned to respond to the next generation of threats.

Keep reading

FBI Warns That Fake FIFA Website Being Used to Steal Personal Information

The FBI on June 16 advised people to be wary of fraudulent websites that try to mimic World Cup or FIFA sites, as the agency warned that such websites have been used to steal personal information and sell counterfeit tickets.

In a public service announcement, the FBI stated that scammers and fraudsters have launched spoofing attempts designed to mimic FIFA’s official website as the World Cup games hosted in North America continue.

“Threat actors often create spoofed websites by slightly altering characteristics of legitimate website domains, with the purpose of gathering personally identifiable information entered by a user into the site, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and banking information,” the FBI statement reads.

The individuals behind such websites may be attempting to trick people into entering sensitive information that could be used to “create new accounts in a victim’s name and ultimately defraud the victim,” the FBI stated.

The federal law enforcement bureau noted that it has identified individuals who had attempted to collect personal information, sell counterfeit World Cup tickets or “hospitality products,” or engaged in other forms of malicious activity in connection with the scams.

The fraudulent website domains could include alternate spellings of words or use a different top-level domain, or TLD, referring to the final segment of the web address, such as .com, .gov, .org, and more, according to the notice.

Scammers may also create a deceptive version of a legitimate website, such as fifa.com, that tricks people into thinking they are going to the official website, it stated. Some include website domains that use alternate domain extensions such as “.blue,” “.beer,” “.city,” and more. Dozens of fraudulent domains were identified by the FBI that have been linked to the scheme, including fake domains related to FIFA jobs, merchandise, or tickets.

FBI officials advised people to first verify website URLs before they enter potentially sensitive or personally identifying information and to go to FIFA’s official website by typing the URL into their browser rather than relying on results produced by search engines, while also verifying that it reads fifa.com.

An Epoch Times review found that many of the websites listed by the FBI in the alert appeared to be down. However, the FBI stated that the “public should be aware that new websites will continue to appear.”

“Exercise caution when clicking on advertisements. Before clicking on an advertisement, check the URL to make sure the site is authentic,” the notice reads. “Malicious advertisements may redirect users to a different website than indicated.”

The June 16 public service announcement did not say whether anyone was victimized by a FIFA website-related scam. But victims who believe that they were targeted in a scam should file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, it states

Aside from combating fake websites, the FBI has also acted to keep drones away from World Cup games. Earlier this week, an illegal immigrant with a prior criminal history, including a cocaine-trafficking conviction, was arrested for flying a drone near a World Cup event in Atlanta, the FBI announced.

Keep reading

FBI Captures Fugitive Who Scammed $1.2 Billion in Medicare Fraud Hiding in the Philippines

Earlier in June, the FBI announced the arrest of a 60-year-old fugitive found residing in the Philippines who fled the United States after failing to appear for his sentencing in connection with pleading guilty to numerous federal charges involving healthcare fraud back in 2019.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of 60-year-old Herbert Leon Kimble via social media on June 19th, highlighting how the apprehended fugitive was among those listed on the agency’s “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list.

According to authorities, Kimble had run a Medicare fraud scheme between 2014 and 2019, reportedly amassing $1.2 billion in ill-gotten gains from the scheme which largely targeted elderly beneficiaries. The aforementioned operation reportedly consisted of call centers attempting to convince patients to acquire medically unnecessary orthopedic braces.

In April of 2019, Kimble reportedly pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and mail fraud among other similar charges, reportedly entering into an agreement with the federal government to help build cases “against other co-conspirators” which lasted for years. However, when Kimble was scheduled to appear in court on October 7th, 2024, for sentencing, he reportedly went on the run.

An international manhunt ensued, with authorities suspecting he was residing in Manila, Philippines. After nearly two years on the lam, authorities located the fugitive in the Philippines and he has since been returned to the United States, according to Director Patel.

In Director Patel’s statement regarding Kimble’s arrest, he emphasized, “President Trump set a mandate to end the abuse of hardworking taxpayer money and each and every day this team will be committed to delivering.”

Kimble’s arrest serves as the second high-profile apprehension carried out with respect to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in recent weeks, with 47-year-old Said Abdullahi Ereg having been arrested earlier in June after self-surrendering to authorities in Minneapolis. Officials claim Ereg engaged in fraud totaling $4.2 million during the pandemic via submitting false claims of hot meals served to those in need under the Federal Child Nutrition Program.

Keep reading

Trump-Appointed Judge Orders ICE to Release Hamas-Linked Milwaukee Mosque President Salah Sarsour Despite Terror Convictions and Immigration Fraud Allegations

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the immediate release of Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque. Sarsour had been locked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who flagged him as a serious foreign policy and national security threat.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, ICE arrested Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee (Wisconsin’s largest mosque) and board member of the pro-Palestinian group American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), on March 30.

DHS labeled him a terrorist. He was convicted by an Israeli military court of throwing a Molotov cocktail at Israeli forces and later attempting to possess weapons and ammunition. He allegedly lied on his U.S. immigration forms to secure a green card under President Bill Clinton.

Sarsour also raised funds for the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), the Hamas front group convicted of funneling over $12 million to terrorists. An FBI memo from 2001 listed him as a Hamas fundraiser in the U.S. through HLF. His brother Imad was similarly flagged.

Now a federal judge has set him free.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, nominated to the bench by President Trump in 2018, ordered ICE to immediately release Sarsour from the Indiana county jail where he was being held, according to CNN.

Hanlon ruled that Sarsour raised a “substantial” claim he was targeted for speaking out in favor of Palestinian rights. The judge said ICE and DHS failed to provide enough evidence to refute allegations of retaliation for protected speech or explain why Sarsour suddenly became a national security threat after more than three decades as a legal permanent resident.

“The mere invocation of foreign relations concerns does not automatically trump First Amendment rights,” Hanlon wrote in the decision, according to CNN.

Sarsour was released within hours. He returned to Milwaukee, where supporters greeted him as he headed back to the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

Keep reading

FRAUD CRACKDOWN: ICE Arrests 8 Illegal Aliens Using Stolen Social Security Numbers While Working at Kentucky Window Supply Business

ICE arrested 13 illegal aliens in Paducah, Kentucky, and discovered that eight of them were using stolen Social Security numbers while working at a window supply business.

“This investigation demonstrates our commitment to upholding the integrity of the nation’s employment and immigration systems,” said HSI Nashville acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting.

“By uncovering and addressing the fraudulent use, our team has sent a clear message that those who attempt to circumvent federal law will be held accountable. This case underscores the importance of coordinated enforcement and collaboration in safeguarding American workplaces by combating fraud in all forms,” he said.

Per ICE:

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and its federal partners arrested 13 illegal aliens during an operation that uncovered fraudulent use of Social Security numbers to work at a window supply business in Paducah.

Eight of the illegal aliens have been indicted for using the stolen Social Security numbers. Those not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and potential deportation.

The HSI Bowling Green investigation revealed that, between June 2021 and August 2025, eight illegal aliens used Social Security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens to complete employment eligibility verification forms and secure jobs.

The Form I-9, required by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is used to confirm the identity and work authorization of employees.

This scheme resulted in unauthorized employment and the misuse of personal information.

“These are not victimless crimes,” ICE adds. “Using fraudulent social security numbers to take jobs from American citizens hurts our communities and American workers,” said ICE Louisville acting Assistant Field Office Director Luis Aguirre. “Using fraudulent social security numbers to take jobs from American citizens hurts our communities and American workers. I am so proud of our officers and partners who work tirelessly to enforce our immigration laws.”

Keep reading

FBI Raids Soros-Connected Ohio Voter Mobilization Group In Fraud Investigation

Federal investigators executed search warrants at the headquarters of a Soros-aligned voter mobilization organization in Ohio as part of what sources described as an ongoing fraud investigation.

FBI agents searched the offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on June 11 and conducted interviews with members of the organization across the state, according to reports. Some agents reportedly served subpoenas or sought to seize electronic devices during the operation.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter later told CBS News that the federal action was tied to a fraud-related investigation.

The Department of Justice declined to discuss the specifics of the case.

“Search warrants are authorized by a judge and anything said by any organization or others in the media is unfounded speculation, as the target of any investigation is not privy to the search warrant affidavit until after indictment,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative is a nonprofit group involved in voter registration and voter mobilization efforts and works closely with Democrats in Ohio. The organization has also played a prominent role in statewide ballot campaigns and referendum efforts.

The investigation is part of the Trump administration’s effort to increase enforcement of election-related laws and allegations of voter fraud.

Tax records show the organization reported more than $10 million in revenue during 2024.

Funding for the group has come from several major Democratic-aligned organizations and labor unions, including entities connected to the Soros family, the New Venture Fund, the Tides Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union.

According to the report, the Soros family’s Foundation to Promote Open Society provided approximately $1.9 million to the organization between 2019 and 2020.

The Open Society Action Fund later contributed an additional $1 million to a related organization in 2021 and another $1 million in 2023.

Keep reading

TRUMP ADMIN CRACKS DOWN: Indian-American CEO Neeraj Sharma to Lose U.S. Citizenship Over Massive H-1B Visa Fraud Scheme Involving 11 Fake Bank Job Petitions

New Jersey staffing firm owner exploited the system for profit by filing fraudulent petitions with forged documents for nonexistent jobs, lied under oath to become a citizen anyway.

The Department of Justice, under President Trump’s leadership, has filed a civil complaint to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Neeraj Sharma, the former CEO and owner of Magnavision LLC, an IT staffing and consulting company based in Somerset, New Jersey.

Sharma, 50, an Indian-born national, is one of 17 naturalized citizens targeted in a sweeping denaturalization effort against fraudsters, sex offenders, drug dealers, and other criminals who lied their way into American citizenship.

According to the DOJ complaint and press release, between April 25, 2015, and April 27, 2017, Sharma, as CEO of Magnavision, signed and filed eleven fraudulent H-1B visa petitions with USCIS under penalty of perjury.

Each petition falsely claimed that the foreign IT workers had secured full-time positions at a major national bank. The filings included forged letters on the bank’s official letterhead complete with forged signatures of bank executives.

Sharma knew the documents were fake. He had never actually secured real jobs for the beneficiaries at the bank. Instead, he leveraged his own role as a contracted business analyst at the bank to manufacture the fraudulent sponsorship claims.

This was a classic exploitation of the H-1B program, intended for genuine specialty occupations and skilled talent, turned into a profit-driven scam. Sharma profited by recruiting foreign nationals desperate for U.S. visas and selling them the illusion of legitimate sponsorship through his staffing firm.

Sharma became a U.S. permanent resident in 2012. In April 2017, right in the middle of his fraudulent H-1B scheme, he filed his Application for Naturalization. Under penalty of perjury, and later in sworn testimony during his naturalization interview, he answered “NO” to key questions:

  • Had he ever committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested?
  • Had he ever given false, fraudulent, or misleading information or documentation to U.S. government officials?
  • Had he ever lied to U.S. government officials to gain immigration benefits?

All lies. USCIS approved his application, and he took the oath of allegiance and became a U.S. citizen on December 7, 2017.

Keep reading

Jamaican National in North Carolina Indicted for Brazen Sham Marriage Immigration Fraud — Used Fake Union to Fast-Track U.S. Citizenship Then Scam VA Disability Benefits by Claiming Phantom Husband as Dependent

A 26-year-old Jamaican national living in Charlotte has been federally indicted for a calculated, multi-year scheme involving sham marriage immigration fraud, lying under oath to obtain U.S. citizenship, and then using that fraudulently acquired status to improperly claim VA disability benefits by listing her never-cohabitating “husband” as a dependent.

Britney Sherene Curry entered the United States on a six-month B-2 tourist visa on August 27, 2015 and promptly overstayed it by more than a decade. Rather than face deportation, she allegedly paid a third party to arrange a fraudulent marriage to a U.S. citizen.

According to the Department of Justice, Curry and her “husband” met for the first time on their wedding day and never lived together before or after the marriage.

After the sham marriage, Curry became a lawful permanent resident. That status allowed her to enlist in the U.S. Army, which in turn let her apply for naturalization almost immediately, bypassing the normal three-year waiting period for spouses of citizens.

She allegedly lied under penalty of perjury on immigration documents about the legitimacy of her marriage. Once naturalized, she even petitioned for her mother to receive lawful permanent resident status.

Less than two years after enlisting, Curry received a medical discharge from the Army. She then filed for VA disability compensation and listed her sham husband as a dependent to boost her monthly benefits, despite never having lived with him and not having seen him since before she joined the military.

According to the DOJ, “Under federal statutes, Curry is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud and mail fraud charges, up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges, and faces the possibility of being denaturalized. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.”

Keep reading

Lawful Permanent Resident From India Living in Upscale Corona del Mar BUSTED for Defrauding Bank of Nearly $100 MILLION – Forged Title Policies in Adobe, Altered Metadata, and Lied to Lenders!

Mahender Makhijani, 44, a lawful permanent resident from India residing in the upscale enclave of Corona del Mar, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bank fraud.

Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based outfit that had a lending deal with a federally insured bank. Under the agreement, the bank advanced nearly $100 million so Cantor could originate or purchase real estate loans, but only first-lien loans where Cantor held the top position on the collateral.

Instead of playing straight, Makhijani and a subordinate spent months from September 2024 through April 2025 systematically falsifying title insurance policies.

They used Adobe software to doctor the documents, making it appear Cantor held first-lien positions when other creditors were actually ahead in line. They altered or stripped metadata — including by printing out the fakes and rescanning them — then submitted the bogus records to the bank.

Makhijani didn’t stop there. He personally joined teleconferences with bank reps and fed them misleading explanations. In December 2024, he caused a spreadsheet full of false information to be sent over.

The bank relied on these lies when deciding to keep advancing funds. Had the truth come out earlier, the bank would have declared Cantor in default and demanded immediate repayment of the full $100 million.

If convicted, Makhijani faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison.

Keep reading