Archive | Feb 2007
Prison inmates getting unemployment benefits
Two Wisconsin prisoners have been getting unemployment benefits, to the tune of $2,697 last year. State auditors were comparing Department of Corrections prisoner data to unemployment data, to see if there was any overlap. Prisoners are not eligible to collect unemployment benefits because they do not meet the “available for employment” test. According to the [...]
Continue reading...Diamond Jim on taxes: increase, increase, increase
14 Feb 2007
There was never a tax increase that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle didn’t like! Here’s the list from his latest budget: Tax on a pack of cigarettes: from $1.25 to $2.02 Vehicle registration fees: from $55 to $75 Driver’s license fees: from $24 to $34 Property taxes: they can go up as much as 4%, which is double the [...]
Continue reading...Bank of America now has a credit card for illegal immigrants
13 Feb 2007
A story in the Wall Street Journal details the new credit card quietly being offered by Bank of America. This new credit card is being offered to customers without Social Security numbers, and common sense tells us that this means illegal immigrants. Banks already have been offering checking accounts and mortgages to “undocumented immigrants” (illegals). However, [...]
Continue reading...Sending money via mobile phone
13 Feb 2007
Another miracle of modern technology, aimed at making life easier for us, may likely be the new target of fraudsters. The new service was unveiled yesterday in Barcelona. Mobile phone users can now send money with the push of a few buttons. This is a win-win, as phone users can quickly transfer money, and [...]
Continue reading...On accountants working long hours
13 Feb 2007
Chris Silvey has a thought-provoking post about the long hours demanded of accounting and auditing professionals in the United States. The job adds up to long hours and work that can be mundane. This leads to the annual exodus from auditing firms in August - after a nice, slow summer and prior to the [...]
Continue reading...How stupid does Governor Jim Doyle think we are?
12 Feb 2007
It’s all a blur to me, but isn’t this the same goof who said lied that he’d hold the line on taxes when he was campaigning for re-election? Diamond Jim is proposing that there be a new tax on oil companies, one that the companies would be prohibited from passing on to consumers. According to [...]
Continue reading...23rd edition of the Carnival of Fraud
12 Feb 2007
Happy Monday… And if you’re in the Midwest, happy SNOWY Monday! On with the carnival! Scott Allen at about.com does a very interesting piece about a dispute over Cuppy’s Coffee and Java Jo’s, two separate companies that apparently caused some confusion among franchisees. Scott’s post brings to light issues surrounding blogs and free speech. Personal Finance [...]
Continue reading...Surprising bust in Milwaukee’s online prostitution sting
10 Feb 2007
Milwaukee police recently started busting people involved in prostitution by cruising Craig’s List. One of the local television stations did a ride-along, and was surprised at one of the women arrested that night. Annie Schrader is an ex-con who claimed to be reformed. Schrader had done prison time on felony charges of keeping a house [...]
Continue reading...Steve Jobs and digital rights management
08 Feb 2007
Apple’s Steve Jobs has appealed to the recording industry in his “Thoughts on Music” to allow companies to sell music without digital antipiracy protection. Essentially, music that is now sold in a digital format is not standardized and therefore cannot be played on “just any” digital music player. Jobs says that the protection on the [...]
Continue reading...The YouTube guys are beyond rich!
07 Feb 2007
The founders of YouTube, the video sharing website purchased by Google, have had a very serious payday. Yesterday Google filed a registration statement with the SEC, disclosing that founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley each received well over $300 million of Google stock. The third co-founder of YouTube, Jawed Karim go about $65 [...]
Continue reading...- Is Shop to Earn a scam or a legitimate business?
- More on why ShopToEarn sucks (and so do MyPowerMall and TeamNational)
- MonaVie: Scam or not?
- Mary Kay Cosmetics: Destroying half a million women a year
- Primerica Financial Services a scam?
- The Pyramid Scheme aspect of Primerica Financial Services
- Shop To Earn lawyer bullying bloggers
- The Sarah Palin pregnancy cover-up that wasn't (updated)
- What does Dave Ramsey think about United First Financial
- A new pyramid scheme: United First Financial
- Niles: Where can the public get specific and official documentation on the...
- Barbara: Tracy I am sure you read this already but it fits you definition of...
- JoeTaxpayer: Walt, if you actually have that amount of time in the business,...
- inspectaneck: Jessica, You’re probably right. If it is so wonderful,...
- Tracy Coenen: Oh Walt. How fun. You accuse me of not knowing how interest...
- Walt: Hello Tracy, It seems that you have tried to educate yourself in...
- claysgirl: To Nienpedo I don’t know what area you live in, nor does...
- nienpedo: So I went to a “meeting” and when I first walked in I saw...
- Lee D: Excellent point, PurpleSlog.
- PurpleSlog: I have a third alternative. Most “anchors” are pretty...
- Chicago mayor promises action against city employees stealing from taxpayers
- Consumers easier to scam during tough economic times
- Searching for Shop to Earn scam
- Debunking Sarah Palin rumors and lies
- Check out the pork in the bailout bill
- The $700 billion bailout should fail on its own merits
- Criminal charges against Amway in India
- The lure of multi-level marketing
- The UFF Money Merge Account money shuffle explained
- Mark Cuban’s idea on a private bailout of the financial sector
About the Author
Tracy Coenen is a forensic accountant and fraud examiner who investigates white collar crimes, including cases of financial statement fraud, embezzlement, tax fraud, and insurance fraud. She is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud and more than 100 articles on fraud featured in industry publications.
17 Feb 2007
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