Fraud

Two brothers and their wives — all from Encino — have been charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to submit at least 35 fraudulent applications seeking more than $5.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief loans, authorities announced Wednesday.

Encino brothers and their wives were accused of getting fraudulent loans to buy luxury homes. Angie Crouch reports Nov. 18, 2020.

Federal authorities arrested nine defendants on Thursday from the Los Angeles area, most of whom were allegedly involved in a sophisticated money laundering scheme that moved tens of millions of dollars derived from tax fraud and health care fraud schemes.

Unemployment insurance recipients are finding that their EDD cards are being skimmed. Randy Mac reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Nov. 13, 2020.

A 24-year-old Northridge woman is facing multiple felony insurance fraud counts involving an allegedly false claim that her car — which was involved in a high-speed police pursuit with her husband at the wheel — was stolen, the state Department of Insurance announced Monday.

A former federal public affairs officer has been sentenced to seven years in prison for pretending to be an undercover CIA operative to persuade companies to give him millions of dollars.

Police say nearly half a million dollars in cash and nearly 90 people have been arrested. Randy Mac reported on NBC4 News on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020.

A San Diego man says a scammer used his information to collect unemployment checks — but the thing is: He never lost his job, and now he says the unemployment office isn’t helping.

Since Sept. 3, police have arrested 44 individuals in the city of Beverly Hills responsible for identity theft and EDD fraud totaling over $2.5 million, said the Beverly Hills Police Department.

Concerns are growing about possible widespread fraud in California’s unemployment system following numerous reports of people receiving unsolicited letters, some with debit cards, from the state’s jobless agency, and a suspicious number of claims involving independent contractors.

Consumer Investigator Randy Mac reports for NBC LA at 6 p.m. Thursday Sept. 3, 2020.

A San Diego business owner pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for claiming she had employees when she, in fact, had none in order to obtain a nearly $20,000 loan meant for businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, was indicted for fraud in New York City.

A San Fernando Valley man believed to have fled the United States faces federal criminal charges for allegedly obtaining more than $860,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans for a shell company and then transferring the bulk of the money to his personal bank accounts, it was announced Tuesday. Arman Manukyan, 49, of Panorama City, was charged with one count of…

Gina Champion-Cain’s real estate company, American National Investments, released a statement Friday.

A Beverly Grove man is accused of submitting fraudulent loan applications for $9 million.

A Los Angeles man was arrested Thursday and charged with fraudulently seeking more than $8.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans. Andrew Marnell, 40, was charged in Los Angeles federal court by criminal complaint, unsealed upon his arrest, with one count of bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The complaint alleges that Marnell obtained $8.5 million in PPP…

A Southern California man who authorities say tried to sell $6 million worth of phony paintings he claimed were created by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and other modern masters was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison. Philip Righter, 43, of West Hollywood was sentenced in a federal court in Miami after pleading guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity…

A Manhattan resident has been charged for a fraudulent scheme to obtain over $20 million in government-guaranteed loans designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Muge Ma, 36 and from Manhattan, is charged with one count each of bank fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements to a bank — each of…

Federal officials say the COVID-19 outbreak has unleashed a wave of fraud