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Sun Myung Moon’s death as reported at the time in Korean media (9.2012)
Unification Church Founder Moon Sun-myung Dies at 92
Chosun Ilbo Sep. 03, 2012 08:09 KST
One of the most prominent and controversial Koreans in the world has died. The Unification Church says its founder, Moon Sun-myung, succumbed to complications from pneumonia on Monday at the age of 92, in a church-run hospital east of Seoul.
Moon leaves behind not only an apocalyptic religious movement, but a global empire possibly still worth billions of dollars. Its businesses are involved in publishing, education, real estate, the hospitality industry, health care and even gun-manufacturing. A church-controlled seafood conglomerate is believed to supply most of the fish for sushi eaten in America.
Moon was born in 1920 in what is now North Korea. He started his church in 1954. His followers became known as "Moonies" with the church gaining a reputation as a cult with deceptive tactics in recruiting followers and maintaining tight control over their lives.
The group gained notoriety for mass weddings where couples, who had never met, were married to other church followers selected by its founder, who presided over the ceremonies in a robe and with a crown atop his head.
Honorary research fellow in contemporary religion at Britain's University of Birmingham, George Chryssides, says Moon and his church were shunned by established Christian organizations.
"Within mainstream Christianity there is an absolute rejection that anyone should produce new scriptures or claim to be a new messiah. It is certainly something that does not go down well in religious circles," he said.
Professor Tark Ji-il, who teaches religion at Busan Presbyterian University, contends that in the Unification Church's theology the ultimate goal was to establish a heavenly kingdom on the Korean Peninsula with Moon as king. Tark said this did not deviate since the church was established and its vast business activities were focused on this goal.
Japan was once considered to be a primary source of the church's wealth, in part derived from persuasive door-to-door peddling of religious icons. But there were more nebulous allegations there from late 1960s when numerous Japanese ultra-nationalists and gangsters joined the church.
Over the years Moon sought to influence politics in both South Korea and the United States. In the 1970s he was the target of U.S. government investigations.
In 1982, Moon was convicted of tax fraud [and document forgery] and spent 13 months in a U.S. federal prison. He denied allegations his attempts to influence lawmakers were done in collusion with South Korea's intelligence agency, an allegation raised during a subsequent congressional investigation.
Even though he once was an ardent anti-communist, Moon later put ideology aside to do business with Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, where he had once been imprisoned in the late 1940s [and sent to Heungnam for bigamy with a married woman, Kim Chong-hwa, who had three children. Her husband complained to the authorities].
Chryssides, author of "The Advent of Sun Myung Moon: The Origins, Beliefs and Practices of the Unification Church," predicts money, rather than theology, will be Moon's lasting legacy. "It is also something that will keep his organization going in whatever form the new leadership sees fit," he said.
Leadership roles in the church's sprawling empire in recent years have been split among several of Moon's children. Some of the businesses have struggled amid reports of infighting among the heirs. It is unclear if the family-run empire will be able to remain intact without its charismatic founder who regarded himself as the Messiah.
Professor Tark, who is also editor-in-chief of South Korea's Contemporary Religion magazine is skeptical. Tark said the conflict among Moon's sons over financial assets is becoming serious. He notes media accounts of it referring to the in-fighting as "the rebellion of princes."
Moon officially handed over the presidency of the church to his youngest son, Hyung-jin, also known as Sean. But Chryssides says Moon's widow, Han Hak-ja, retains a critical position within the church.
"Theologically she is the Messiah, as well. In Unification thoughts, there is not just one messiah there are the two – there's the male and the female. So what role she is going to have is not at all clear. And I think anything could happen," he said.
Professor Jo Eung-tae, in the unification theology department at the church's Sun Moon University in Asan expects the children to remain subordinate to their mother.
Jo says, overall, Han will now lead the entire church while her children will have their own roles with the youngest son responsible for religious activities.
Moon was quoted in his teachings predicting "a big commotion" after his death, but promised he would continue to lead his church from the spirit world.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/09/03/2012090300389.html
_____________________________________
Moonie Founder Laid to Rest
Chosun Ilbo Sep. 17, 2012 13:18 KST
The funeral of Unification Church founder Moon Sun-myung, who died on Sept. 3, was held on Saturday at the church's Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
The funeral was attended by Moon's family including his wife, Unification Church devotees, and some 40 representatives from 31 denominations from the American Clergy Leadership Conference.
The church said 35,000 people attended the funeral, including some 10,000 people from Japan, but the Moonies have a history of inflating such figures.
Moon Hyun-jin, the third and the eldest surviving son of the founder, who leads the Unification Church International, was absent, apparently because he is at loggerheads with his siblings and mother over the succession.
The attendees laid down roses and lilies, Moon's favorite flowers, instead of traditional chrysanthemums.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/09/17/2012091701508.html
_____________________________________
Sun Myung Moon’s second wife – Kim Chong-hwa in Pyongyang
Moon’s first wife, Choi Seon-gil, and Kim Deok-jin interviewed
Dong-sook, born in 1955 and listed as a ‘True Child’, was married to Sung-jin Moon
6,500 Japanese women missing from Moon mass weddings
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Holidays 9.12
Holidays
Alligator Awareness Day
Amilcar Cabral Day (Guinea Bissau)
Bass Tuba Day
Battle of Vienna Anniversary Day
Burlesque Day
Cedar Tree Day (Lebanon)
Cinema Day (Iran)
Cleopatra’s Needle Day (UK)
Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Appreciation Day
Day of Conception (a.k.a. Procreation Day; Russia)
Day of the Land Forces (Poland)
Day of the Programmer
Defender's Day (Maryland)
Diocletian New Year
Disability Awareness Day (UK)
Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 2: Interdependence
End Digital Poverty Day (UK)
Enkutatash (Ethiopia, Rastafari) [Leap Years; 1st Day of Mäskäräm]
European Migraine Day of Action
Family Contact Day (Russia)
Goldenrod Day (French Republic)
Hey, Hey, It’s The Monkees Day
International Cinema Day
International Crochet Day
International Day for South-South Cooperation (UN)
Investigative Committee Day (Belarus)
Jesse Owens Day (Ohio)
Keddus Johannes (Geez New Year; Eritrea)
Lomia Asteroid Day
Marathon Day
Mindfulness Day
National Day (Cape Verde)
National Day of Civic Hacking
National Day of Encouragement
National Dementia Carers Day (UK)
National Flexible Working Day
National Hug and High Five Day
National Ink and Toner Day
Nationality Day (Cape Verde Islands)
National Just One Human Family Day
National Police Woman Day
National Programmers Day
National Reading Group Day
National Report Medicare Fraud Day
National Taylor Day
National Video Games Day
912 Day (Savannah)
Olympia Asteroid Day
Pioneers Day (Rhodesia)
Porsche 912 Day
Ruhnama Day (Book of the Soul; Turkmenistan)
Riglametha (Elder Scrolls)
Saint Patrick’s Battalion Mass Hanging Commemoration (Mexico)
Saragarhi Day (India)
Stand Up Against Bullying Day (Nova Scotia)
Steve Biko Day (South Africa)
Thank a Programmer Day
World Dolphin Day
World Goalball Day
World Rubber Day
Food & Drink Celebrations
Chocolate Milkshake Day
National Blackberry Day (UK)
National Juicy Lucy Day
Popcorn Day
Independence & Related Days
ISTER Princedom (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]
Revolution Day (Ethiopia)
2nd Thursday in September
MPN Awareness Day [2nd Thursday]
National Day of the Working Parent [2nd Thursday]
National School Picture Day [2nd Thursday]
R U OK? Day (Australia) [2nd Thursday]
Stop a Suicide Today [Thursday of the Week including the 10th]
Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]
Thoughtful Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]
Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]
Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]
Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]
Toast Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]
United Tribes International PowWow begins (Thru Sunday; North Dakota) [Thursday after 1st Monday]
Weekly Holidays beginning September 12 (2nd Full Week of September)
National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 9.15] (also in Feb, Apr & Nov)
Festivals Beginning September 12, 2024
Agricultural Fair (New Portland, Maine) [thru 9.15]
Annapolis Songwriters Festival (Annapolis, Maryland) [thru 9.15]
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) [thru 9.15]
Bandon Cranberry Festival (Bandon, Oregon) [thru 9.13]
Blair Cheese Festival (Blair, Wisconsin) [thru 9.15]
Budapest Wine Festival (Budapest, Hungary) [thru 9.15]
Chicago Jazz Getaway (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 9.15]
Feast of San Gennaro (New York, New York) [thru 9.22]
GOGBOT (Enschede, Netherlands)
GrapeFest (Grapevine, Texas) [thru 9.15]
Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Kyiv International Short Film Festival (Kyiv, Ukraine) [thru 9.18]
Lodi Grape Festival (Lodi, California) [thru 9.15]
Odesa Classics (Ghent, Belgium)
Oklahoma State Fair (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) [thru 9.22]
Saint George's Annual Middle Eastern Food Festival (Birmingham, Alabama) [thru 9.14]
Seymour Apple Festival (Seymour, Missouri) [thru 9.14]
St. John Parish Applefest (Fenton, Michigan) [thru 9.15]
Tunbridge World's Fair (Tunbridge, Vermont) [thru 9.15]
viennacontemporary (Vienna, Austria) [thru 9.15]
Vintage & Vine (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Wormtown Music Festival (Greenfield, Massachusetts) [thru 9.15]
Feast Days
Ailbe (a.k.a. Elvis or Eilfyw) of Emly (Christian; Saint)
Anselm Feuerbach (Artology)
Athanasius (Christian; Saint)
Bassian of Tikhsnen in Vologda (Christian; Saint)
Ben Shahn (Artology)
Buzz Crescendo (Muppetism)
Carl Eytel (Artology)
Charles Dudley Warner (Writerism)
Daniel of Thassius (Christian; Saint)
Day of Ishtar and TammuzI (Pagan)
Ebontius (Christian; Saint)
Eanswide (Christian; Saint)
Feast of Atabei (Goddess Mother; Tainos, West Indies)
The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary (14th century Christian)
Freymóður Jóhannsson (Artology)
Gahambar Paitishahen begins (Zoroastrian)
Guy of Anderlecht (Christian; Saint)
Hieromartyr Autonomous, Bishop of Iconium (Christian; Saint)
H.L. Mencken (Writerism)
The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
John Henry Hobart (Episcopal Church (USA))
Julian of Galatia and His 40 Martyrs (Christian; Martyrs)
Laisrén mac Nad Froích (Christian; Saint)
Macedonios, Tatian, and Theodoulos (Christian; Martyrs)
Martyrdom of Imam Hasan Askari (Iran)
Michael Ondaatje (Writerism)
Milo Manara (Artology)
Nakedness Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)
Personal Harvest Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)
Robert Irwin (Artology)
Rojas (Positivist; Saint)
Rush to Judgement Day (Church of the SubGenius)
Saragarhi Day (Sikhism)
Sacerdos of Lyon (Christian; Saint)
Stanisław Lem (Writerism)
The 3 Things Kings Don’t Share Day (Treasure, Hawk & Thief (a.k.a. His Taxman) Celtic Book of Days)
Lucky & Unlucky Days
Lucky Day (Philippines) [50 of 71]
Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]
Premieres
The Archaeology of Knowledge and The Discourse on Language, by Michel Foucault (Science Book; 1969)
Birds in Love (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1936)
Black Sea, by XTC (Album; 1980)
Bonanza (TV Series; 1959)
Bony Marine, recorded by Larry Williams (Song; 1957)
Burgled Bullwinkle or The Moose Nappers (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 107; 1961)
Burn After Reading (Film; 2008)
The Busy Barber (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)
The Case of the Cockeyed Canary (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1958)
Charlie Chan in London (Film; 1934)
Chips Off the Old Block (MGM Cartoon; 1942)
Circus, by Lenny Kravitz (Album; 1995)
A Crown for Bullwinkle or Monarch Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 108; 1961)
Death Magnetic, by Metallica (Album; 2008)
Donald and Pluto (Disney Cartoon; 1936)
Family Affair (TV Series; 1966)
Feast and Furious (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)
A Fly Went By, by Mike McClintock (Children’s Book; 1958)
FutureSex: LoveSounds, by Justin Timberlake (Album; 2006)
Hope, by Klaatu (Album; 1977)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Hannah Green (Novel: 1963)
I Put a Spell on You, recorded by Screaming’ Jay Hawkins (Song; 1956)
Jack the Giant Killer (Ub Iwerks Laugh-O-Grams Cartoon; 1922)
Lost in Translation (Film; 2003)
Love Is a Battlefield, by Pat Benatar (Song; 1983)
Malice Aforethought, by Francis Iles (Novel; 1931)
Maroon, by Barenaked Ladies (Album; 2000)
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child (Cookbook; 1961)
Millennium Actress (Anime Film; 2003)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)
The Monkees (TV Series; 1966)
The Mystery of the Lizard Men (Animated TV Show; Jonny Quest #1; 1964)
Never Bug An Ant (And & the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)
North, by Matchbox Twenty (Album; 2012)
Old MacDonald Duck (Disney Cartoon; 1941)
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Film; 2003)
Party of Five (TV Series; 1994)
Peaky Blinders (TV Series; 2013)
Popeye and the Pirates (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)
Porky’s Moving Day (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)
Protector (Known Space), by Larry Niven (Novel; 1973)
Pump, by Aerosmith (Album; 1989)
Rabbit Is Rich, by John Updike (Novel: 1981) [Rabbit #3]
The Rat Patrol (TV Series; 1966)
The Royal Four-Flusher (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)
Showtime at the Apollo (TV Series; 1987)
The Skeleton Twins (Film; 2014)
The Smurfs (Animated TV Series; 1981)
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major (a.k.a. Symphony of A Thousand), by Gustav Mahler (Symphony; 1910)
Tarzan of the Apes (Radio Series; 1932)
Taxi (TV Series; 1978)
Through the Past, Darkly, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1969)
The Try Guys (YouTube Show; 2014)
Tweety’s High-Flying Adventure (WB Animated Film; 2000)
The Village Specialist (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1931)
Walkin’ on Wall Street (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1996)
Welcome to the Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance (Song; 2006)
Wish You Were Here, by Pink Floyd (Album; 1975)
The World of Atom Ant and Secret Squirrel (Hanna Barbera Animated TV Special; 1965)
+, by Ed Sheeran (Album; 2011)
Today’s Name Days
Eberhard, Gerfried, Guido, Maria (Austria)
Dubravko, Marija (Croatia)
Marie (Czech Republic)
Guido (Denmark)
Meeli, Meelike, Meila, Meili, Melanie, Mella, Melli (Estonia)
Valma, Vilja (Finland)
Apollinaire (France)
Gerfried, Maria Manen (Germany)
Mária (Hungary)
Cesarea, Maria (Italy)
Albins, Erna, Eva, Evita, Selga (Latvia)
Gvidas, Marija, Tolvaldas, Vaidmantė (Lithuania)
Jofrid, Jorid (Norway)
Amadeusz, Amedeusz, Cyrus, Gwidon, Maria, Piotr, Radzimir, Sylwin (Poland)
Autonóm (Romania)
Mária (Slovakia)
Estíbaliz, María (Spain)
Åsa, Åslög (Sweden)
Aloise, Aloysia, Guido, Guy (USA)
Today is Also…
Day of Year: Day 256 of 2024; 110 days remaining in the year
ISO: Day 4 of Week 37 of 2024
Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 12 of 28]
Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 10 (Ji-Mao)
Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]
Hebrew: 9 Elul 5784
Islamic: 8 Rabi I 1446
J Cal: 16 Gold; Twosday [16 of 30]
Julian: 30 August 2024
Moon: 65%: Waxing Gibbous
Positivist: 4 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Otway]
Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 6 of 15]
Season: Summer (Day 85 of 94)
Week: 2nd Full Week of September
Zodiac: Virgo (Day 22 of 32)
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Holidays 9.12
Holidays
Alligator Awareness Day
Amilcar Cabral Day (Guinea Bissau)
Bass Tuba Day
Battle of Vienna Anniversary Day
Burlesque Day
Cedar Tree Day (Lebanon)
Cinema Day (Iran)
Cleopatra’s Needle Day (UK)
Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Appreciation Day
Day of Conception (a.k.a. Procreation Day; Russia)
Day of the Land Forces (Poland)
Day of the Programmer
Defender's Day (Maryland)
Diocletian New Year
Disability Awareness Day (UK)
Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 2: Interdependence
End Digital Poverty Day (UK)
Enkutatash (Ethiopia, Rastafari) [Leap Years; 1st Day of Mäskäräm]
European Migraine Day of Action
Family Contact Day (Russia)
Goldenrod Day (French Republic)
Hey, Hey, It’s The Monkees Day
International Cinema Day
International Crochet Day
International Day for South-South Cooperation (UN)
Investigative Committee Day (Belarus)
Jesse Owens Day (Ohio)
Keddus Johannes (Geez New Year; Eritrea)
Lomia Asteroid Day
Marathon Day
Mindfulness Day
National Day (Cape Verde)
National Day of Civic Hacking
National Day of Encouragement
National Dementia Carers Day (UK)
National Flexible Working Day
National Hug and High Five Day
National Ink and Toner Day
Nationality Day (Cape Verde Islands)
National Just One Human Family Day
National Police Woman Day
National Programmers Day
National Reading Group Day
National Report Medicare Fraud Day
National Taylor Day
National Video Games Day
912 Day (Savannah)
Olympia Asteroid Day
Pioneers Day (Rhodesia)
Porsche 912 Day
Ruhnama Day (Book of the Soul; Turkmenistan)
Riglametha (Elder Scrolls)
Saint Patrick’s Battalion Mass Hanging Commemoration (Mexico)
Saragarhi Day (India)
Stand Up Against Bullying Day (Nova Scotia)
Steve Biko Day (South Africa)
Thank a Programmer Day
World Dolphin Day
World Goalball Day
World Rubber Day
Food & Drink Celebrations
Chocolate Milkshake Day
National Blackberry Day (UK)
National Juicy Lucy Day
Popcorn Day
Independence & Related Days
ISTER Princedom (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]
Revolution Day (Ethiopia)
2nd Thursday in September
MPN Awareness Day [2nd Thursday]
National Day of the Working Parent [2nd Thursday]
National School Picture Day [2nd Thursday]
R U OK? Day (Australia) [2nd Thursday]
Stop a Suicide Today [Thursday of the Week including the 10th]
Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]
Thoughtful Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]
Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]
Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]
Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]
Toast Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]
United Tribes International PowWow begins (Thru Sunday; North Dakota) [Thursday after 1st Monday]
Weekly Holidays beginning September 12 (2nd Full Week of September)
National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 9.15] (also in Feb, Apr & Nov)
Festivals Beginning September 12, 2024
Agricultural Fair (New Portland, Maine) [thru 9.15]
Annapolis Songwriters Festival (Annapolis, Maryland) [thru 9.15]
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) [thru 9.15]
Bandon Cranberry Festival (Bandon, Oregon) [thru 9.13]
Blair Cheese Festival (Blair, Wisconsin) [thru 9.15]
Budapest Wine Festival (Budapest, Hungary) [thru 9.15]
Chicago Jazz Getaway (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 9.15]
Feast of San Gennaro (New York, New York) [thru 9.22]
GOGBOT (Enschede, Netherlands)
GrapeFest (Grapevine, Texas) [thru 9.15]
Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Kyiv International Short Film Festival (Kyiv, Ukraine) [thru 9.18]
Lodi Grape Festival (Lodi, California) [thru 9.15]
Odesa Classics (Ghent, Belgium)
Oklahoma State Fair (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) [thru 9.22]
Saint George's Annual Middle Eastern Food Festival (Birmingham, Alabama) [thru 9.14]
Seymour Apple Festival (Seymour, Missouri) [thru 9.14]
St. John Parish Applefest (Fenton, Michigan) [thru 9.15]
Tunbridge World's Fair (Tunbridge, Vermont) [thru 9.15]
viennacontemporary (Vienna, Austria) [thru 9.15]
Vintage & Vine (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Wormtown Music Festival (Greenfield, Massachusetts) [thru 9.15]
Feast Days
Ailbe (a.k.a. Elvis or Eilfyw) of Emly (Christian; Saint)
Anselm Feuerbach (Artology)
Athanasius (Christian; Saint)
Bassian of Tikhsnen in Vologda (Christian; Saint)
Ben Shahn (Artology)
Buzz Crescendo (Muppetism)
Carl Eytel (Artology)
Charles Dudley Warner (Writerism)
Daniel of Thassius (Christian; Saint)
Day of Ishtar and TammuzI (Pagan)
Ebontius (Christian; Saint)
Eanswide (Christian; Saint)
Feast of Atabei (Goddess Mother; Tainos, West Indies)
The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary (14th century Christian)
Freymóður Jóhannsson (Artology)
Gahambar Paitishahen begins (Zoroastrian)
Guy of Anderlecht (Christian; Saint)
Hieromartyr Autonomous, Bishop of Iconium (Christian; Saint)
H.L. Mencken (Writerism)
The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
John Henry Hobart (Episcopal Church (USA))
Julian of Galatia and His 40 Martyrs (Christian; Martyrs)
Laisrén mac Nad Froích (Christian; Saint)
Macedonios, Tatian, and Theodoulos (Christian; Martyrs)
Martyrdom of Imam Hasan Askari (Iran)
Michael Ondaatje (Writerism)
Milo Manara (Artology)
Nakedness Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)
Personal Harvest Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)
Robert Irwin (Artology)
Rojas (Positivist; Saint)
Rush to Judgement Day (Church of the SubGenius)
Saragarhi Day (Sikhism)
Sacerdos of Lyon (Christian; Saint)
Stanisław Lem (Writerism)
The 3 Things Kings Don’t Share Day (Treasure, Hawk & Thief (a.k.a. His Taxman) Celtic Book of Days)
Lucky & Unlucky Days
Lucky Day (Philippines) [50 of 71]
Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]
Premieres
The Archaeology of Knowledge and The Discourse on Language, by Michel Foucault (Science Book; 1969)
Birds in Love (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1936)
Black Sea, by XTC (Album; 1980)
Bonanza (TV Series; 1959)
Bony Marine, recorded by Larry Williams (Song; 1957)
Burgled Bullwinkle or The Moose Nappers (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 107; 1961)
Burn After Reading (Film; 2008)
The Busy Barber (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)
The Case of the Cockeyed Canary (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1958)
Charlie Chan in London (Film; 1934)
Chips Off the Old Block (MGM Cartoon; 1942)
Circus, by Lenny Kravitz (Album; 1995)
A Crown for Bullwinkle or Monarch Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 108; 1961)
Death Magnetic, by Metallica (Album; 2008)
Donald and Pluto (Disney Cartoon; 1936)
Family Affair (TV Series; 1966)
Feast and Furious (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)
A Fly Went By, by Mike McClintock (Children’s Book; 1958)
FutureSex: LoveSounds, by Justin Timberlake (Album; 2006)
Hope, by Klaatu (Album; 1977)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Hannah Green (Novel: 1963)
I Put a Spell on You, recorded by Screaming’ Jay Hawkins (Song; 1956)
Jack the Giant Killer (Ub Iwerks Laugh-O-Grams Cartoon; 1922)
Lost in Translation (Film; 2003)
Love Is a Battlefield, by Pat Benatar (Song; 1983)
Malice Aforethought, by Francis Iles (Novel; 1931)
Maroon, by Barenaked Ladies (Album; 2000)
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child (Cookbook; 1961)
Millennium Actress (Anime Film; 2003)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)
The Monkees (TV Series; 1966)
The Mystery of the Lizard Men (Animated TV Show; Jonny Quest #1; 1964)
Never Bug An Ant (And & the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)
North, by Matchbox Twenty (Album; 2012)
Old MacDonald Duck (Disney Cartoon; 1941)
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Film; 2003)
Party of Five (TV Series; 1994)
Peaky Blinders (TV Series; 2013)
Popeye and the Pirates (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)
Porky’s Moving Day (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)
Protector (Known Space), by Larry Niven (Novel; 1973)
Pump, by Aerosmith (Album; 1989)
Rabbit Is Rich, by John Updike (Novel: 1981) [Rabbit #3]
The Rat Patrol (TV Series; 1966)
The Royal Four-Flusher (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)
Showtime at the Apollo (TV Series; 1987)
The Skeleton Twins (Film; 2014)
The Smurfs (Animated TV Series; 1981)
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major (a.k.a. Symphony of A Thousand), by Gustav Mahler (Symphony; 1910)
Tarzan of the Apes (Radio Series; 1932)
Taxi (TV Series; 1978)
Through the Past, Darkly, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1969)
The Try Guys (YouTube Show; 2014)
Tweety’s High-Flying Adventure (WB Animated Film; 2000)
The Village Specialist (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1931)
Walkin’ on Wall Street (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1996)
Welcome to the Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance (Song; 2006)
Wish You Were Here, by Pink Floyd (Album; 1975)
The World of Atom Ant and Secret Squirrel (Hanna Barbera Animated TV Special; 1965)
+, by Ed Sheeran (Album; 2011)
Today’s Name Days
Eberhard, Gerfried, Guido, Maria (Austria)
Dubravko, Marija (Croatia)
Marie (Czech Republic)
Guido (Denmark)
Meeli, Meelike, Meila, Meili, Melanie, Mella, Melli (Estonia)
Valma, Vilja (Finland)
Apollinaire (France)
Gerfried, Maria Manen (Germany)
Mária (Hungary)
Cesarea, Maria (Italy)
Albins, Erna, Eva, Evita, Selga (Latvia)
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Today is Also…
Day of Year: Day 256 of 2024; 110 days remaining in the year
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Birmingham's Investigative Specialists: Exploring the World of Private Detectives
In the bustling city of Birmingham, UK, where the pace of life can be both exhilarating and demanding, a unique profession has carved out a niche for itself – that of the private detective. These discreet individuals have become indispensable partners in helping both individuals and businesses navigate the complexities of modern life, providing reliable solutions to a wide range of challenges.
At the heart of a private detective birmingham work lies the art of investigation. Whether it's tracking down a missing person, verifying the claims of a potential business partner, or unraveling the details of a suspected infidelity, these professionals possess the skills and resources to meticulously gather and analyze information. Through a combination of surveillance techniques, database searches, and meticulous record-keeping, they are able to piece together the puzzle and present their clients with a comprehensive understanding of the situation at hand.
Discreet Surveillance: Protecting Privacy and Safeguarding Reputations
In an era where digital footprints and social media have blurred the lines between public and private life, the need for discreet surveillance has become increasingly important. Private detectives in Birmingham offer specialized services to individuals and businesses seeking to protect their privacy, reputations, and sensitive information. Whether it's monitoring suspicious activities, investigating potential corporate espionage, or ensuring the safety of high-profile individuals, these professionals operate with the utmost discretion, ensuring that their clients' concerns are addressed without drawing unwanted attention.
Serving a Diverse Range of Clients
The clientele of private detectives in Birmingham spans a wide spectrum, reflecting the diverse needs of the modern world. From corporate executives seeking to safeguard their companies' interests to individuals grappling with personal or family-related challenges, these professionals tailor their services to meet the unique requirements of each client. Their expertise extends beyond traditional investigative work, as they often provide specialized services such as asset searches, fraud investigations, and even assistance with child custody disputes.
Navigating Legal Complexities: Ensuring Compliance and Ethical Practices
Integral to the role of private detectives in Birmingham is a deep understanding of the legal landscape. These professionals are well-versed in the relevant laws and regulations governing their industry, ensuring that their investigative methods and the information they gather are admissible in legal proceedings. By adhering to strict ethical guidelines and maintaining a strong code of conduct, private detectives in Birmingham strive to protect the rights and interests of their clients while upholding the integrity of the profession.
Embracing Technology: Adapting to a Rapidly Changing World
In an era of rapid technological advancement, private detectives in Birmingham have embraced the use of cutting-edge tools and techniques to enhance their investigative capabilities. From leveraging sophisticated surveillance equipment to utilizing advanced data analysis software, these professionals are constantly evolving their skillsets to stay ahead of the curve and provide their clients with the most comprehensive and reliable solutions.
Building Trust and Fostering Lasting Relationships
At the core of a private detective's work in Birmingham is the ability to build trust and foster lasting relationships with their clients. These professionals understand the sensitive nature of the issues their clients face and the importance of maintaining open and transparent communication throughout the investigative process. By prioritizing confidentiality, integrity, and a deep understanding of their clients' needs, private detectives in Birmingham have established themselves as trusted partners in navigating the complexities of modern life.
Conclusion
In the heart of Birmingham, UK, private detectives play a vital role in helping individuals and businesses navigate the challenges of the modern world. From discreet surveillance to specialized investigative services, these professionals possess the expertise and resources to uncover the truth, protect privacy, and safeguard reputations. By embracing technological advancements, adhering to ethical practices, and fostering trusting relationships with their clients, private detectives in Birmingham have become indispensable partners in navigating the complexities of life. As the world continues to evolve, the need for the services provided by these discreet and reliable professionals will only continue to grow, solidifying their place as essential contributors to the well-being and success of those they serve.
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Navigating HMRC Tax Investigations: Expert Insights for Birmingham and Huddersfield
Tax investigations can be a daunting experience for businesses and individuals alike. The HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) plays a vital role in ensuring that everyone pays the correct amount of tax. However, being subject to an HMRC investigation can be a stressful and complicated affair. If you find yourself in this situation in Birmingham or Huddersfield, it's crucial to have the right support and guidance to navigate through the process effectively.
In this blog, we will explore the ins and outs of HMRC investigations and how SigmaTax, a reputable tax consultancy firm, can assist you in managing these investigations in Birmingham and Huddersfield. Whether you're a business owner or an individual taxpayer, understanding the key aspects of tax investigations is essential to ensure compliance and peace of mind.
HMRC Investigations: What You Need to Know
To begin, it's essential to have a clear understanding of what an HMRC investigation entails. HMRC conducts investigations to verify that taxpayers are paying the correct amount of tax, ensuring that tax evasion and fraud are minimized. These investigations can be triggered by various factors, including discrepancies in tax returns, tips from informants, or random selection.
Why You Need Professional Help
Managing an HMRC investigation can be overwhelming, especially when you're unsure about the specific tax laws and regulations that apply to your situation. SigmaTax, with its team of experienced tax professionals, can provide invaluable assistance throughout the process. They can help you gather the necessary documentation, communicate with HMRC on your behalf, and ensure that you are well-prepared for any potential inquiries.
HMRC Investigations in Birmingham
If you're a business or an individual located in Birmingham, it's crucial to be aware of the local nuances that may affect your HMRC investigation. SigmaTax has a strong presence in Birmingham and a deep understanding of the local tax landscape. They can provide tailored guidance to navigate Birmingham-specific challenges effectively.
HMRC Investigations in Huddersfield
Huddersfield, like any other location, has its unique aspects when it comes to HMRC investigations. SigmaTax's expertise extends to Huddersfield, ensuring that clients in this area receive customized assistance that takes into account local regulations and practices.
The Role of SigmaTax in HMRC Investigations
SigmaTax offers a comprehensive range of services to manage HMRC investigations, including tax audit representation, document preparation, negotiation with HMRC officials, and expert advice on compliance. Their team of tax experts has a track record of successfully resolving tax investigations for clients in Birmingham and Huddersfield.
The Importance of Proactive Tax Compliance
One of the best ways to avoid HMRC investigations and potential issues is to maintain proactive tax compliance. SigmaTax can also help businesses and individuals with tax planning, ensuring that they are meeting their tax obligations correctly and efficiently.
Conclusion
In Birmingham and Huddersfield, dealing with HMRC investigations can be less stressful with the assistance of SigmaTax. Their expertise, local knowledge, and commitment to resolving tax issues make them a valuable partner during challenging times. Remember that staying informed about HMRC investigations and seeking professional help when needed can safeguard your financial well-being and peace of mind. Don't hesitate to reach out to SigmaTax for reliable support and guidance throughout the process.
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Listened to the new season of serial and now have like 7 new reasons to unleash hell at Micheal gove if we ever crossed paths in the wild
#like the whole thing is so clearly open and shut#the whole fucking country was so whipped up into an islamophobic frenzy no one put 2 and 2 together#that some lady faked a letter to get out of an employment tribunal and a fraud investigation#at least i know where that coocoo bananas belief that birmingham is a 'no go zone' for white people comes from now
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Three Oakland County lawyers face criminal charges that could have them lose their law licenses and get sent to prison.
The three were charged last year with committing fraud that victimized hundreds of small-time debtors — people who owed money to banks, credit unions, landlords, and other creditors. The lawyers allegedly failed to notify these people that they were being sued for their debts, allowing the lawyers to get instant judgments when the people were no-shows in court.
This month, the three lawyers face a new hazard. It's a class-action lawsuit to flip the script. Several of the lawyers' debtor victims have turned into plaintiffs. They want a court-ordered settlement, so they can turn the tables and collect from the lawyers. The new lawsuit seeks to unite hundreds of Michiganders who owed consumer debt into a class that can jointly sue these lawyers in a single case.
The multiple legal threats ensnarling the three lawyers highlight not only their possible wrong-doing but also a key constitutional right of all Americans: the basic right just to know you’ve been sued.
The new lawsuit seeking a class-action payout, filed on April 8, comes just more than a year after criminal charges were leveled against the three lawyers, triggering a scenario that was upsetting to some in Michigan’s legal profession. Those bothered included Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, who said last year when he announced the charges: “It pains me to charge fellow members of my profession, but nobody is above the law.”
Reached this week, Leyton told the Free Press in a statement: “We know from our police investigations that there are over 80 victims in Genesee County alone, and we believe there are potentially hundreds of other victims spread across at least three other counties and possibly more in Michigan.” Each of the three lawyers is innocent until proven guilty. The defense attorneys representing them said they’re outraged not only by the charges but also by Leyton’s statements.
“I’ve practiced law for 26 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a situation of alleged wrong-doing so overstated,” said Kimberly Stout, a criminal defense attorney in Birmingham. Stout added: “Even if they’re found not guilty, certainly the prosecutor's statements will have a very negative effect on their professional lives from now on."
The class-action lawsuit comes a few weeks after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, on March 23, signed a pair of bills into law that stiffens the penalty for the non-lawyers, called process servers, if one of them commits similar legal shenanigans as alleged against the three lawyers: Marc Fishman, 71, of Bloomfield Township; his son, Ryan Fishman, 33, of Orchard Lake; and Alexandra Ichim, 34, of Waterford. The three lawyers’ alleged misbehavior was to have forged numerous legal documents, called proofs of service. Each proof of service tells the court, officially and for the record, that someone being sued has been properly notified according to Michigan law.
States differ slightly in their requirements, but the right to be notified of a criminal charge is enshrined in the U.S. and state constitutions. For a civil case, such as being sued for a debt, the same right is built into state laws. By side-stepping that right in numerous locales, the Fishmans and Ichim allegedly sped up their fees for handling a nonstop stream of debt-collection cases, assembly-line style. Leyton announced charges against the trio in April 2021 after investigators received tips that the three lawyers allegedly found a way to do without the time-consuming effort of hiring process servers — the self-employed couriers who hand-deliver the court's notification, called a summons, to anyone being sued. Because the COVID pandemic slowed court business everywhere to a crawl, the criminal cases against the trio of lawyers finally are approaching pretrial hearings, scheduled for April 25.
According to legal experts, Michigan’s procedure in debt collection allows a lawyer working on behalf of a creditor to hire a process server, who then tries to make an in-person delivery of a court summons to the debtor, either at home or work. If after several attempts there is still no contact with the debtor, the process server signs a court document — called an affidavit — stating that the debtor could not be notified. That document is a sworn statement, admissible in court as key evidence. It opens the door wide for a lawyer to simply publish a notice in a local paper, then seek a default judgment from a judge, without a debtor’s knowledge, and without giving that debtor the right to a day in court. BAM! The judge’s gavel comes down and a debt collector can immediately start garnishing a debtor’s wages as well as other assets.
The same right to be notified holds for most any lawsuit or legal charge, legal experts say. All Americans have the right to know their accusers and what legal case they face. That's part of a broader right, referred to as simply "the right to due process of law.” The U.S. Constitution prohibits any branch of government from depriving Americans of their liberty or property without due process of law.
Within that hallowed right lies the essence of criminal charges leveled against the father-and-son Fishmans and their associate Ichim. By allegedly shortcutting the procedure and submitting forged documents to judges, they’re accused of operating a scheme that collected more than $1 million from at least 1,000 people, according to news releases from the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office.
Now comes the fresh hazard of a possible class-action settlement. Three residents of Genesee County who’d been a target for the lawyers’ debt-collection cases hope to qualify for a class action, then seek a payoff for damages from the lawyers. If a judge decides they qualify as a class, they could then represent numerous other supposed debtors who were targets of the Fishman law firm and seek a group settlement. Each one might get a check.
But that effort may have an uphill struggle in Genesee Circuit Court. A similar lawsuit by the same three plaintiffs was bounced out of federal court in Detroit in late February. In that lawsuit, the three plaintiffs sued the Fishman firm under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law aimed at curtailing abusive debt collectors. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds shut down that gambit. Edmunds ruled that the three plaintiffs, all residents of Genesee County, and all with landlords claiming they were behind in their rent, lacked standing under federal law.
So the plaintiffs filed anew in Genesee County Circuit Court, this time under a state law: the Michigan Collection Practices Act. Again, the three plaintiffs want to be certified as a class. If that happens, they can recruit numerous others they feel were victimized to join them in seeking monetary damages. Wade Fink, one of the team of lawyers who helped the Fishman firm prevail in federal court, said he’s dubious that the plaintiffs’ second shot at a class-action case will succeed.
“There has been no allegation that any of these debtors in any of these cases did not owe the money,” Fink said.
“The question has always been whether the debtors were given due process. Judge Edmunds ruled that, whether or not there was a bad actor at the bottom of this, these debtors weren’t harmed,” he said.
Whichever way the class-action effort rolls, a higher priority is to make sure that Michiganders always know if they’ve been sued, State Sen. Jim Runestad said. Runestad, R-White Lake, said he spent seven years getting Michigan law changed to stiffen the penalty against fakery by process servers. Until now, if a process server lied about delivering a summons, the penalties were “little to nothing — the worst thing that could happen was the process server might get (cited for) contempt of court,” Runestad said.
The new law that he championed, Public Act 36 of 2022, “requires process servers to sign a declaration” in which they state that they’ve served the defendant with a summons, and that the document they’re submitting as “proof of service” is truthful, under penalty of perjury — a felony, Runestad said.
“This was a huge hole in our legal system,” now plugged by a possible five years in prison for violations, he said.
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Fraud Investigator services in Birmingham | Macky Outlaw
Are you looking for Fraud Investigator in Birmingham? Macky Outlaw is a premier provider of fraud investigation and identity theft protection. We help companies protect their customers and investments by investigating fraud, theft, and money - Call us for a free consultation at 866-910-7499.
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**Article:**
Part 1 of 2
The bounce back plan offered a lifeline to struggling companies. But more than half the £43bn lent so far could be lost
Stephen Bogan, a prestige car dealer, could be forgiven for the confusion. While checking on a loan being used to buy a £41,000 Porsche from his showroom in Airdrie, Scotland, Mr Bogan was alarmed to discover that his company was listed as the buyer. The attempted fraud was barely more sophisticated than skimming his details from the internet and asking for a loan, he says, adding that “the bank still paid out the money”.
“It was the perfect crime because we would not have been aware until next year when the bank would have started asking us for interest on the loan,” says the car seller.
Mr Bogan was the target of fraudsters seeking to exploit weaknesses in the UK government's £43.5bn coronavirus Bounce Back Loans Scheme. Launched by chancellor Rishi Sunak in May, it was designed to provide cash quickly for struggling businesses, but its loose rules were immediately exposed with some estimates suggesting as much as £26bn will be lost to defaults and fraud.
The Financial Times has spoken to more than a dozen senior bankers, fraud experts and people involved in the creation and running of the programme. In the words of one, “the scheme was being abused and defrauded on an industrial scale”.
Several bankers point to a range of attacks from impersonation of legitimate businesses, such as Mr Bogan’s car showroom, to the use of willing “money mules” who take out loans only to then file for bankruptcy.
“In 10 years' time, people will still be looking for the money,” says David Clarke, chairman of the Fraud Advisory Panel and a former head of the City of London Police fraud squad. He adds that the political reckoning could be just as long-lasting, “when the inquiries start into what happened with this scheme”.
Even greater losses are set to come from the billions lent to companies with little chance, or ability, to repay, after a devastating year that is set to cause widespread business failures in 2021 and beyond.
“The period from April to June was essentially a giant bonfire of taxpayers' money,” says one senior banker, “with banks just handing out matches”.
The UK’s bounce back scheme was hailed as the saviour of small businesses fighting to stay afloat amid national lockdowns. Under attack from MPs and companies running out of cash, Treasury officials agreed to guarantee all money lent by the banks. As a result bankers were more comfortable with waiving credit checks to speed up the process, relying on basic “know your customer” and fraud checks.
Mr Sunak told MPs: “There will be no forward-looking tests of business viability; no complex eligibility criteria; just a simple, quick, standard form for businesses to fill in.”
The terms were equally attractive: loans of up to £50,000 with no capital or interest repayments for one year — and then just 2.5 per cent for up to a decade. “People saw it and thought, ‘wow’! Why on earth wouldn't they take it? It’s basically free money,” says the senior banker.
Within days, more than £8bn had been lent to 250,000 small businesses. As of December 17, more than £43.5bn had been lent under the scheme to 1.4m companies, far more than the £18bn to £26bn anticipated at launch.
The Office for Budget Responsibility said in November that it expected a total of up to £87bn of business borrowing to be backed by government guarantees — the majority in bounce back loans.
“The key objective was to get money out, at scale, quickly, and to a broad range of business,” Sarah Munby, permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, told the public accounts committee in November.
It did not take long for bankers to realise that loans were being taken by borrowers who would struggle to repay. “By definition,” says one person involved in the creation of the scheme, “the sort of borrowers who take the loans cannot afford to pay them back under normal banking conditions”.
Within weeks of the scheme launching, senior executives at high-street banks were raising concerns that up to half of the money could be lost.
The government itself had estimated losses from the scheme could be between a third and 75 per cent due to the parlous nature of many businesses going into the crisis. The threat of such huge losses required a ministerial direction — in effect an order by Alok Sharma, the business secretary — to overrule concerns.
Ms Munby told MPs in November: “We are not able to sit here today and tell you how many of these loans will be paid back . . . from a managing public money [perspective] that is a concern.”
This is seen as unavoidable by officials — the cost of having to rush money to the type of small businesses that need it most. The focus now is on whether more could have been done to tackle the fraud and default risk earlier.
MPs on the House of Commons’ public accounts committee last week criticised the Treasury for its lack of data to assess the levels of fraud or even the scheme’s economic benefits — as well as its “woefully under-developed” plans with lenders to deal with fraudulently obtained loans or borrowers unable to repay. “Dropping the most basic checks was a huge issue that puts the taxpayer at risk to the tune of billions,” said Meg Hillier, chair of the committee.
At the end of November, the OBR increased its estimates of overall losses to as much as £29bn, the vast majority related to bounce back loans. In the best-case scenario, total losses from all the loan schemes could add up to £22bn; in the worst, taxpayers would foot a £40bn bill — almost half of all government lending to business during the crisis. On Thursday, the chancellor extended the scheme for a second time, to the end of March.
“A lot of the money has been spent having a good time. It becomes unrecoverable,” says Mike Levi, professor of criminology at Cardiff University, who is researching fraud activity during pandemics. “There will be an almighty row in a few years but by then it will be too late.”
In October, three people were arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of involvement in a £145,000 fraud involving bounce back loans. Separately, a human resources manager in Essex has been accused of trying to steal £240,000 in bounce back loans, using claims from oblivious employees on the payroll.
This will be “the first of many operations planned by my officers,” said Michael Dineen, head of fraud operations at the National Investigation Service, after the Birmingham raid.
Ms Munby told MPs that it was recognised that there “would be fraud because of choices about the design of the scheme”.
“This is basically [a criminal’s] dream scenario,” says a person familiar with the banks’ internal reviews. “An incredibly lucrative fraud that requires very little work and has almost no chance of law enforcement action.”
One senior executive at a high street bank says that as many as 15 per cent of applications were deemed fraudulent in the first weeks of the scheme. “This was the highest rate of cyber fraud that we have ever seen pretty much immediately,” he says. “We realised we were going into something scary.”
In a letter to the business department just two days before its launch, Keith Morgan, the then chief executive of the British Business Bank, which administers the scheme, said there were “very significant fraud and credit risks” and that it was “vulnerable to abuse by individuals and organised crime”.
A review of the scheme in May, by PwC, the consultancy, calculated the fraud risk as “very high”. The Cabinet Office said that fraud losses would likely be higher than the estimates of public sector fraud across all government spending of between 0.5 per cent and 5 per cent.
During the first two months, high street banks rejected hundreds of fraudulent applications on a daily basis, according to senior executives. Much of this initial surge was caused by a loophole that allowed the filing of multiple applications across banks — it was at least two months before cross-industry checks were put in place.
“We were flying blind,” says the chairman of one high street bank.
Criminals adapted the tools of established financial fraud to target the scheme. Acuris Risk Intelligence, which tracks online fraud, found one gang that claimed to have taken £6m using stolen UK identities. Acuris’ head of market planning Nick Parfitt says compromised credit card details were also used.
“At first, criminals were not going for the full £50,000 as they expected banks to check. But when that didn’t happen,” he adds, “they went hell for leather.”
His findings are supported by another bank fraud expert, who says that criminals would apply for loans of £48,000, assuming that applying for the full £50,000 would raise a red flag. But, he says, since the government allowed a further “top up” to the full amount for businesses, fraudsters have tried to come back for the remainder.
Bankers have also highlighted the use of “mules” — people in financial difficulties recruited by organised gangs to borrow money then declare bankruptcy. One banker describes bounce back customers who already had sizeable overdrafts and other debts; customers who rarely used personal accounts suddenly turning them into business ones; customers sending the balance overseas; and multiple occupancy houses where several people all successfully applied for the maximum £50,000 loans.
“We had some indications this was happening,” says another senior banker, “but could do very little to stop it because the government had taken a calculated risk and just wanted the money out there. It accepted that people would take advantage.”
Part 2 of 2
About £1.1bn in fraudulent applications for UK bounce back scheme loans from almost 27,000 people have been rejected since May, according to a letter from the BBB to MPs in November. But fraud experts worry that many other false claims were successful.
Applicants were checked against a national fraud database and with basic anti money laundering checks, but other measures only took place once a loan was granted. The BBB says that banks expecting to use the government's loan guarantee are required to take on clear anti-fraud obligations.
Anne Boden, chief executive of Starling Bank, told a Treasury select committee last week: “If . . . the fraudster gets through and they self-certify something and they lie, then that will be a claim against the taxpayer. That is the consequence of this scheme.”
The UK is not alone in seeing a spike in fraud. More than 10,000 cases of potential fraud related to the pandemic are being investigated in Germany. While in the US, the agency that manages Covid-related loans found “strong indicators of widespread potential fraud”.
The money provided by the scheme has helped hundreds of thousands of struggling businesses survive the national lockdowns. For others, it was comforting to have money in the bank for a rainy day. Deposits in business accounts rose sharply as government money flooded into company coffers.
But some business owners saw a chance to pay down a credit card or a deposit for a property, invest in equities or even cryptocurrency, says one bank fraud expert. “Completely against the spirit and terms of the scheme but we honestly don’t know how we should treat these customers,” he adds.
Banks can only lend up to £50,000, or a maximum of a quarter of a company’s turnover. This meant, according to a different banker, “we found a strangely large number of business customers had precisely £200,000 turnover last year”.
Another executive points to the owner of 10 shops who used different business accounts to apply for £50,000 for each of them. In this case, the bank spotted the multiple applications and said no — which led to a complaint from the hopeful borrower. “Maybe he went and opened accounts at other banks . . . this is the type of thing that is going on maybe hundreds or thousands of times.”
Bankers suspect that the authorities will only pursue larger, high value cases, or where there are clear links to organised crime. “How will you prove [a loan] was intentionally misspent,” asks another senior banker, “rather than a bad business decision or the result of another lockdown?”
Banking sources say fraud levels have decreased since additional controls were introduced after June, with weekly prevention meetings between banks, and audits carried out by the BBB and PwC. At the same time fraud teams are scouring business accounts that have received bounce back loans to identify those dormant since the funds were withdrawn.
“The government has made it clear that action will be taken against individuals found to have fraudulently accessed, or attempted to access, bounce back loan funding,” says the BBB.
But bankers say criminals are still trying to game the system, even if many are detected ahead of approval. “The truth is we will not know how much money will come back until May,” when loans start to charge interest, says the bank fraud expert.
“Don't forget these are 10-year loans,” says one bank chairman. “So we could be dealing with this for decades”.
“We targeted this support to help those who need it most as quickly as possible and we won’t apologise for this,” says a department of business spokesperson. “We are acting to crack down on fraud — with lenders implementing a range of protections including anti-money laundering and customer checks, as well as transaction monitoring controls.”
Although banks have to pursue lost money, they remain confident that the Treasury and Mr Sunak will ultimately foot the bill. Yet the government insists that the banks will need to do their best to recover the money. “We were expecting to just flip them to the government if they didn't pay,” says another senior banker, “but now, I think we are going to have to try for a year to get our money back before we can go for the guarantee.
“Which I feel is unfair,” she adds, “it wasn't our decision to lend”.
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Shrewsbury builder jailed for £254,000 VAT fraud
Shrewsbury builder jailed for £254,000 VAT fraud
A builder who made fraudulent tax claims totalling £254,000 has been jailed.
Richard Edis, 45, repeatedly forged invoices between August 2013 and August 2015.
Checks carried out by HMRC led to his arrest in December 2016, after which a search of his desk found evidence he had used templates and tip-ex to to create the faked documents.
Fraudulent invoices were confirmed with 15 businesses and suspected inflated claims were identified with a further 163 businesses.
Investigators also discovered Edis had inflated the value of the purchase invoices by moving the decimal point.
Edis, of Wytherford Road, Shrewsbury, was jailed for 27 months for VAT fraud at Birmingham Crown Court.
Confiscation proceedings to recover the stolen money will follow.
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Solving the Riddles of Birmingham: The Adventures of Private Detectives
Introduction
Private detectives, often portrayed as enigmatic figures in trench coats and fedoras, play a significant role in uncovering truths and solving mysteries that elude conventional means. In Birmingham, a city teeming with diversity and complexity, these private sleuths navigate through the urban landscape, unraveling secrets and shedding light on the shadows. This exploration delves into the adventures of private detectives in Birmingham, shedding light on their roles, challenges, and contributions to the city's narrative.
The Essence of Private Detectives
Private detectives in Birmingham embody the spirit of inquiry and perseverance, serving as the city's silent guardians who delve into the depths of the unknown. Their work spans a wide spectrum of tasks, from conducting surveillance and gathering evidence to uncovering fraud and locating missing persons. Operating within the framework of the law, private detectives employ a variety of investigative techniques and tools to piece together the puzzle and reveal the truth. Their efforts serve to uphold justice, integrity, and the pursuit of truth in society.
Unraveling Birmingham's Mysteries
Birmingham, with its rich tapestry of history, culture, and diversity, provides fertile ground for private detectives to ply their trade. From the bustling streets of the city center to the quiet suburbs, every corner holds the potential for revelation. Private detectives in Birmingham are tasked with unraveling a myriad of mysteries – from marital infidelity and insurance fraud to corporate espionage and criminal conspiracies. Their work often takes them into the hidden realms of society, where they decipher cryptic clues and uncover truths that lie concealed beneath the surface.
Tools of the Trade: Investigative Techniques
Investigative techniques form the backbone of a private detective's toolkit, enabling them to gather evidence and build compelling cases. In Birmingham's urban landscape, private detectives employ a variety of methods, including surveillance, interviews, background checks, and forensic analysis. From discreetly tailing a suspect through crowded streets to combing through digital records and conducting covert operations, every assignment demands meticulous planning, precision, and attention to detail. These investigative techniques allow private detectives to uncover hidden truths and bring closure to their clients.
Navigating Ethical Considerations
While the pursuit of truth is paramount, private detectives in Birmingham must navigate a complex maze of ethical considerations. The line between justified investigation and invasion of privacy can often blur, presenting moral dilemmas at every turn. From respecting the boundaries of individual privacy to handling sensitive information with discretion, ethical considerations permeate every aspect of their work. Upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism is essential to ensure that their actions serve the interests of justice and truth.
Challenges and Triumphs: Tales from the Trenches
The life of a private detective in Birmingham is marked by a constant interplay of challenges and triumphs. From deciphering cryptic clues to navigating complex legal frameworks, each case presents its unique set of obstacles. However, it's amidst these challenges that the true mettle of a private detective is tested. Whether it's uncovering a hidden conspiracy or reuniting a family torn apart by tragedy, the journey of investigation is as arduous as it is rewarding. Ultimately, it's the pursuit of truth and justice that drives them forward, fueling their determination to solve Birmingham's riddles.
Conclusion
In Birmingham, private detectives operate as the city's silent heroes, tirelessly working behind the scenes to uncover truths and provide closure to those in need. Theirs is a profession marked by dedication, perseverance, and a steadfast commitment to upholding the principles of integrity and justice. Through their investigative prowess and unwavering determination, they unravel the mysteries that lie hidden beneath the surface, shedding light on the shadows and bringing resolution to the unknown. As the unsung heroes of Birmingham's narrative, they play a vital role in safeguarding the fabric of society, ensuring that justice prevails and the truth is revealed.
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Secret F.B.I. Subpoenas Scoop Up Personal Data From Companies https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/us/data-privacy-fbi.html
Secret F.B.I. Subpoenas Scoop Up Personal Data From Scores of Companies
By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries | Published Sept. 20, 2019, 5:00 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted September 20, 2019 8:00 AM ET |
The F.B.I. has used secret subpoenas to obtain personal data from far more companies than previously disclosed, newly released documents show.
The requests, which the F.B.I. says are critical to its counterterrorism efforts, have raised privacy concerns for years but have been associated mainly with tech companies. Now, records show how far beyond Silicon Valley the practice extends — encompassing scores of banks, credit agencies, cellphone carriers and even universities.
The demands can scoop up a variety of information, including usernames, locations, IP addresses and records of purchases. They don’t require a judge’s approval and usually come with a gag order, leaving them shrouded in secrecy. Fewer than 20 entities, most of them tech companies, have ever revealed that they’ve received the subpoenas, known as national security letters.
The documents, obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and shared with The New York Times, shed light on the scope of the demands — more than 120 companies and other entities were included in the filing — and raise questions about the effectiveness of a 2015 law that was intended to increase transparency around them.
“This is a pretty potent authority for the government,” said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas who specializes in national security. “The question is: Do we have a right to know when the government is collecting information on us?”
The documents provide information on about 750 of the subpoenas — representing a small but telling fraction of the half-million issued since 2001, when the Patriot Act expanded their powers.
The credit agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion received a large number of the letters in the filing. So did financial institutions like Bank of America, Western Union and even the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. All declined to explain how they handle the letters. An array of other entities received smaller numbers of requests — including Kansas State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, probably because of their role in providing internet service.
Other companies included major cellular providers such as AT&T and Verizon, as well as tech giants like Google and Facebook, which have acknowledged receiving the letters in the past.
Albert Gidari, a lawyer who long represented tech and telecommunications companies and is now the privacy director at Stanford’s Center for Internet and Society, said Silicon Valley had been associated with the subpoenas because it was more willing than other industries to fight the gag orders. “Telecoms and financial institutions get little attention,” he said, even though the law specifically says they are fair game.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that information on the roughly 750 letters could be disclosed under a 2015 law, the USA Freedom Act, that requires the government to review the secrecy orders “at appropriate intervals.”
The Justice Department’s interpretation of those instructions has left many letters secret indefinitely. Department guidelines say the gag orders must be evaluated three years after an investigation starts and also when an investigation is closed. But a federal judge noted “several large loopholes,” suggesting that “a large swath” of gag orders might never be reviewed.
According to the new documents, the F.B.I. evaluated 11,874 orders between early 2016, when the rules went into effect, and September 2017, when the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, requested the information.
“We are not sure the F.B.I. is taking its obligations under USA Freedom seriously,” said Andrew Crocker, a lawyer with the foundation. “There still is a huge problem with permanent gag orders.”
The Justice Department declined to comment.
National security letters, which the F.B.I. has issued since the 1980s, have long been a point of contention in the debate over privacy and security. Initially, the bureau had to show “specific and articulable facts” indicating that the target was an agent of a foreign power. Now, the F.B.I. must certify that the information is “relevant” to a terrorism, counterintelligence or leak investigation.
“NSLs are an indispensable investigative tool,” the Justice Department argued in the Freedom of Information Act case. The department has said in legal documents that the information gleaned from the letters is important to identifying subjects and their associates, while helping to clear the innocent of suspicion.
According to a 2007 report from the Justice Department inspector general, the F.B.I. didn’t track how often information from the letters was used in criminal proceedings. But the report also said the letters had led to guilty pleas for arms trading, at least one conviction for material support of terrorism, and multiple charges of fraud and money laundering. The tool was also cited in efforts to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Much of the concern about the letters has focused on the gag orders, which accompany nearly every request and prevent the recipient — typically indefinitely — from disclosing even the existence of the letter. The federal government has argued that the secrecy is necessary to avoid alerting targets, giving would-be terrorists clues about how the government conducts its surveillance or hurting diplomatic relations.
After a series of court rulings found that the gag orders violated First Amendment protections, Congress enacted the review requirements.
The documents obtained through the lawsuit include the number of orders reviewed, as well as redacted copies of 751 letters from the F.B.I. informing companies and organizations their gag orders had been lifted. These so-called termination letters do not reveal the contents of the original national security letters, but indicate which entities received them.
Because so few gag orders have been reviewed and rescinded, it isn’t possible to say whether the companies that received the most termination letters also received the most national security letters. But given the overall secrecy around the program, the termination letters offer a rare glimpse into these subpoenas.
Equifax, Experian and AT&T received the most termination letters: more than 50 each. TransUnion, T-Mobile and Verizon each received more than 40. Yahoo, Google and Microsoft got more than 20 apiece. Over 60 companies received just one.
The underlying national security letters were not included in the documents, and it is unclear when most of them were issued and who the individual targets were.
Tech companies have disclosed more information about the letters they received than the major phone providers, which included general information about them in transparency reports.
“We have fought for the right to be transparent about our receipt” of national security letters, Richard Salgado, Google’s director of law enforcement and information security, said in a 2016 statement explaining why the company was releasing the subpoenas. “Our goal in doing so is to shed more light on the nature and scope” of the requests, he added.
Other companies have generally remained mum. In response to inquiries, a TransUnion spokesman would say only that the company “has not disclosed the receipt of any national security letters.” An spokesman for Equifax said it was “compliant with the national security letters process.”
Mr. Gidari, the former tech lawyer, attributed some of that lack of reporting to differences in company culture, noting that tech firms were more predisposed to openness, and financial institutions less likely to discuss any outside access to customer data. And most small companies, he said, don’t have the resources to keep long-term track of or challenge the subpoenas.
“That’s the problem with the Freedom Act: It procedurally pretended to solve the problem,” he said. “But the whole structure of this involves presumption in favor of the government for perpetual sealing.”
#data security#data breach#data collection#fbi investigation#fbi#politics#us politics#trumpism#president donald trump#trump scandals#trump administration#trump news#criminology#criminal justice#criminaldefense#justice#justicedept#justice department#united states department of justice#u.s. department of justice#Privacy issues
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What went on on this date in music history….only the good stuff. Leave all that Madonna crap for some other place ☠️☠️☠️…
March 11th
1965 - Tom Jones
Tom Jones was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'It's Not Unusual.' The Welsh singer's first of 16 UK Top 40 hits during the 60s. Written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, the song was first offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded a demo for Shaw, and when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones's delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself.
1968 - Otis Redding
The Otis Redding single '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' went gold in the US three months after the singer was killed in a plane crash. Recorded just days before his death, it became the first posthumous single to top the charts in the US.
1970 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Deja Vu, the first album by Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, (and the second by the trio configuration of Crosby, Stills, and Nash), was released. It topped the pop album chart for one week and spawned three US Top 40 singles: 'Teach Your Children', 'Our House', and 'Woodstock'.
1971 - Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison of The Doors arrived in Paris booking into The Hotel George's. The following week he moved into an apartment at 17 Rue Beautreillis in Paris. Morrison lived in Paris until his death on July 3rd 1971, (two years to the day after the death of the Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, and approximately nine months after the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin).
1972 - Neil Young
Neil Young went to No.1 on the US & UK album chart with his fourth studio album 'Harvest.' The album featured the US No.1 hit single 'Heart Of Gold.'
1972 - Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of The Peter Ham and Tom Evans song 'Without You'. First recorded by Badfinger in 1970, the song was also a No.1 for Mariah Carey in 1994.
1975 - 10cc
The Original Soundtrack, the third album by 10cc was released. It featured the world wide, multi million selling single 'I'm Not in Love' notable for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. The song was the band's breakthrough hit worldwide, reaching No.1 in Ireland and Canada and No.2 in the US, as well as reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand and several European countries.
1978 - Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell album began a 416-week run on the UK chart. The album went on to become one of the most influential and iconic albums of all time and its songs have remained classic rock staples.
2005 - Ozzy Osbourne
The front door of Ozzy Osbourne's childhood home in Birmingham went up for sale because the current owner was fed up with fans defacing it. Ali Mubarrat, who now owned the house in Lodge Road, Aston, said over the years it had become a pilgrimage destination. He was now auctioning the door on eBay and giving the money to charity.
2009 - Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden's tour manager criticised people who were arrested for trying to gatecrash a concert in Bogota. Colombian police arrested more than 100 people after stones were thrown hours before the group were due to perform. In a statement posted on the band's website, Rod Smallwood said: 'We abhor the inane behaviour of a small minority of people outside.' Riot police fired tear gas canisters at those who tried to enter the concert without tickets.
2011 - Iron Maiden
The former singer with Iron Maiden was jailed for nine months for fraudulently claiming benefits. Paul Andrews, fronted the band between 1978 and 1981, under the stage name Paul Di'Anno. Andrews, 52, was jailed at the city's crown court after earlier admitting falsely claiming more than £45,000. Fraud investigators had viewed online videos and read about gigs on the performer's website.
2015 - Jimmy Greenspoon
Jimmy Greenspoon, keyboardist with Three Dog Night died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 67. During the course of their career, Three Dog Knight had 21 top 40 hits, including three No.1 singles.
2016 - Keith Emerson
English musician Keith Emerson died in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after he had become 'depressed, nervous and anxious' because nerve damage in his hands had hampered his playing. Emerson found his first commercial success with the Nice, in the late 1960s and was a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), one of the early progressive rock supergroups.
2019 - Hal Blaine
Drummer Hal Blaine, one of the most recorded musicians in pop music history died of natural causes at his home in Palm Desert, California age 90. As a member of the The Wrecking Crew his drumming can be heard on songs such as Presley’s 'Return to Sender,' the Byrds’ 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' The Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations,' Simon & Garfunkel’s 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and dozens of hits produced by Phil Spector, and the theme songs to 'Batman,' 'The Partridge Family' and dozens of other shows.
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Who Scams The Scammers? Meet The Scambaiters
Police struggle to catch online fraudsters, often operating from overseas, but now a new breed of amateurs are taking matters into their own hands
— Amelia Tait | Sunday, 03 October 2021 | Guardian USA
‘My computer’s giving me the worst vibes,’ began Rosie in Kim Kardashian’s voice. Illustration: Pete Reynolds/The Observer
Three to four days a week, for one or two hours at a time, Rosie Okumura, 35, telephones thieves and messes with their minds. For the past two years, the LA-based voice actor has run a sort of reverse call centre, deliberately ringing the people most of us hang up on – scammers who pose as tax agencies or tech-support companies or inform you that you’ve recently been in a car accident you somehow don’t recall. When Okumura gets a scammer on the line, she will pretend to be an old lady, or a six-year-old girl, or do an uncanny impression of Apple’s virtual assistant Siri. Once, she successfully fooled a fake customer service representative into believing that she was Britney Spears. “I waste their time,” she explains, “and now they’re not stealing from someone’s grandma.”
Okumura is a “scambaiter” – a type of vigilante who disrupts, exposes or even scams the world’s scammers. While scambaiting has a troubled 20-year online history, with early forum users employing extreme, often racist, humiliation tactics, a new breed of scambaiters are taking over TikTok and YouTube. Okumura has more than 1.5 million followers across both video platforms, where she likes to keep things “funny and light”.
“I waste their time and now they’re not stealing from someone’s grandma.” — Rosie Okumura
In April, the then junior health minister Lord Bethell tweeted about a “massive sudden increase” in spam calls, while a month earlier the consumer group Which? found that phone and text fraud was up 83% during the pandemic. In May, Ofcom warned that scammers are increasingly able to “spoof” legitimate telephone numbers, meaning they can make it look as though they really are calling from your bank. In this environment, scambaiters seem like superheroes – but is the story that simple? What motivates people like Okumura? How helpful is their vigilantism? And has a scambaiter ever made a scammer have a change of heart?
Batman became Batman to avenge the death of his parents; Okumura became a scambaiter after her mum was scammed out of $500. In her 60s and living alone, her mother saw a strange pop-up on her computer one day in 2019. It was emblazoned with the Windows logo and said she had a virus; there was also a number to call to get the virus removed. “And so she called and they told her, ‘You’ve got this virus, why don’t we connect to your computer and have a look.” Okumura’s mother granted the scammer remote access to her computer, meaning they could see all of her files. She paid them $500 to “remove the virus” and they also stole personal details, including her social security number.
Thankfully, the bank was able to stop the money leaving her mother’s account, but Okumura wanted more than just a refund. She asked her mum to give her the number she’d called and called it herself, spending an hour and 45 minutes wasting the scammer’s time. “My computer’s giving me the worst vibes,” she began in Kim Kardashian’s voice. “Are you in front of your computer right now?” asked the scammer. “Yeah, well it’s in front of me, is that… that’s like the same thing?” Okumura put the video on YouTube and since then has made over 200 more videos, through which she earns regular advertising revenue (she also takes sponsorships directly from companies).
“A lot of it is entertainment – it’s funny, it’s fun to do, it makes people happy,” she says when asked why she scambaits. “But I also get a few emails a day saying, ‘Oh, thank you so much, if it weren’t for that video, I would’ve lost $1,500.’” Okumura isn’t naive – she knows she can’t stop people scamming, but she hopes to stop people falling for scams. “I think just educating people and preventing it from happening in the first place is easier than trying to get all the scammers put in jail.”
She has a point – in October 2020, the UK’s national fraud hotline, run by City of London Police-affiliated Action Fraud, was labelled “not fit for purpose” after a report by Birmingham City University. An earlier undercover investigation by the Times found that as few as one in 50 fraud reports leads to a suspect being caught, with Action Fraud frequently abandoning cases. Throughout the pandemic, there has been a proliferation of text-based scams asking people to pay delivery fees for nonexistent parcels – one victim lost £80,000 after filling in their details to pay for the “delivery”. (To report a spam text, forward it to 7726.)
Hook, line and sinker: the scambaiters. Illustration: Pete Reynolds
Asked whether vigilante scambaiters help or hinder the fight against fraud, an Action Fraud spokesperson skirted the issue. “It is important people who are approached by fraudsters use the correct reporting channels to assist police and other law enforcement agencies with gathering vital intelligence,” they said via email. “Word of mouth can be very helpful in terms of protecting people from fraud, so we would always encourage you to tell your friends and family about any scams you know to be circulating.”
Indeed, some scambaiters do report scammers to the police as part of their operation. Jim Browning is the alias of a Northern Irish YouTuber with nearly 3.5 million subscribers who has been posting scambaiting videos for the past seven years. Browning regularly gets access to scammers’ computers and has even managed to hack into the CCTV footage of call centres in order to identify individuals. He then passes this information to the “relevant authorities” including the police, money-processing firms and internet service providers.
“I wouldn’t call myself a vigilante, but I do enough to say, ‘This is who is running the scam,’ and I pass it on to the right authorities.” He adds that there have only been two instances where he’s seen a scammer get arrested. Earlier this year, he worked with BBC’s Panorama to investigate an Indian call centre – as a result, the centre was raided by local police and the owner was taken into custody.
Browning says becoming a YouTuber was “accidental”. He originally started uploading his footage so he could send links to the authorities as evidence, but then viewers came flooding in. “Unfortunately, YouTube tends to attract a younger audience and the people I’d really love to see looking at videos would be older folks,” he says. As only 10% of Browning’s audience are over 60, he collaborates with the American Association of Retired People to raise awareness of scams in its official magazine. “I deliberately work with them so I can get the message a little bit further afield.”
Still, that doesn’t mean Browning isn’t an entertainer. In his most popular upload, with 40m views, he calmly calls scammers by their real names. “You’ve gone very quiet for some strange reason,” Browning says in the middle of a call, “Are you going to report this to Archit?” The spooked scammer hangs up. One comment on the video – with more than 1,800 likes – describes getting “literal chills”.
But while YouTube’s biggest and most boisterous stars earn millions, Browning regularly finds his videos demonetised by the platform – YouTube’s guidelines are broad, with one clause reading “content that may upset, disgust or shock viewers may not be suitable for advertising”. As such, Browning still also has a full-time job.
YouTube isn’t alone in expressing reservations about scambaiting. Jack Whittaker is a PhD candidate in criminology at the University of Surrey who recently wrote a paper on scambaiting. He explains that many scambaiters are looking for community, others are disgruntled at police inaction, while some are simply bored. He is troubled by the “humiliation tactics” employed by some scambaiters, as well as the underlying “eye for an eye” mentality.
“I’m someone who quite firmly believes that we should live in a system where there’s a rule of law,” Whittaker says. For scambaiting to have credibility, he believes baiters must move past unethical and illegal actions, such as hacking into a scammer’s computer and deleting all their files (one YouTube video entitled “Scammer Rages When I Delete His Files!” has more than 14m views). Whittaker is also troubled by racism in the community, as an overcrowded job market has led to a rise in scam call centres in India. Browning says he has to remove racist comments under his videos.
“I think scambaiters have all the right skills to do some real good in the world. However, they’re directionless,” Whittaker says. “I think there has to be some soul- searching in terms of how we can better utilise volunteers within the policing system as a whole.”
At least one former scambaiter agrees with Whittaker. Edward is an American software engineer who engaged in an infamous bait on the world’s largest scambaiting forum in the early 2000s. Together with some online friends, Edward managed to convince a scammer named Omar that he had been offered a lucrative job. Omar paid for a 600-mile flight to Lagos only to end up stranded.
“He was calling us because he had no money. He had no idea how to get back home. He was crying,” Edward explains. “And I mean, I don’t know if I believe him or not, but that was the one where I was like, ‘Ah, maybe I’m taking things a little too far.’” Edward stopped scambaiting after that – he’d taken it up when stationed in a remote location while in the military. He describes spending four or five hours a day scambaiting: it was a “part-time job” that gave him “a sense of community and friendship”.
“I mean, there’s a reason I asked to remain anonymous, right?” Edward says when asked about his actions now. “I’m kind of embarrassed for myself. There’s a moment where it’s like, ‘Oh, was I being the bad guy?’” Now, Edward doesn’t approve of vigilantism and says the onus is on tech platforms to root out scams.
Yet while the public continue to feel powerless in the face of increasingly sophisticated scams (this summer, Browning himself fell for an email scam which resulted in his YouTube channel being temporarily deleted), But scambaiting likely isn’t going anywhere. Cassandra Raposo, 23, from Ontario began scambaiting during the first lockdown in 2020. Since then, one of her TikTok videos has been viewed 1.5m times. She has told scammers her name is Nancy Drew, given them the address of a police station when asked for her personal details, and repeatedly played dumb to frustrate them.
“I believe the police and tech companies need to do more to prevent and stop these scams, but I understand it’s difficult,” says Raposo, who argues that the authorities and scambaiters should work together. She hopes her videos will encourage young people to talk to their grandparents about the tactics scammers employ and, like Browning, has received grateful emails from potential victims who’ve avoided scams thanks to her content. “My videos are making a small but important difference out there,” she says. “As long as they call me, I’ll keep answering.”
For Okumura, education and prevention remain key, but she’s also had a hand in helping a scammer change heart. “I’ve become friends with a student in school. He stopped scamming and explained why he got into it. The country he lives in doesn’t have a lot of jobs, that’s the norm out there.” The scammer told Okumura he was under the impression that, “Americans are all rich and stupid and selfish,” and that stealing from them ultimately didn’t impact their lives. (Browning is more sceptical – while remotely accessing scammers’ computers, he’s seen many of them browsing for the latest iPhone online.)
“At the end of the day, some people are just desperate,” Okumura says. “Some of them really are jerks and don’t care… and that’s why I keep things funny and light. The worst thing I’ve done is waste their time.”
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