Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

US targets global mail fraudsters

US JUSTICE authorities on Thursday (September 22) revealed a broad-based effort to dismantle global mass-mailing fraud operations that officials say cheat millions of people out of tens of millions of dollars annually.

Officials unveiled criminal charges, economic sanctions, asset seizures and other actions aimed at companies and individuals based in Canada, France, Singapore, Turkey, India, the United States and other countries.


The scams followed a familiar pattern, according to the US Justice Department, which said “direct mailers” sent phony letters, frequently to the elderly, claiming the recipients had won cash or prizes that could be collected for processing fees.

Swiss and Singaporean-based outfits allegedly took in $50 million to $60 million annually on the back of fraudulent claims, some of which purportedly came from world famous psychics.

Among others, the effort targeted an Indian printing company which allegedly produced solicitation letters in bulk and a Canadian payments processing company which prosecutors say knowingly processed victims’ cheques, according to the Justice Department.

In a news conference, US attorney general Loretta Lynch cited the case of Ercan Barka, 34, a resident of Turkey who was arrested early this month by US postal inspectors in New York as he prepared to board a plane and was later charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Prosecutors say Barca’s mailing campaigns had taken $29 million from US victims since 2012.

“The companies and individuals named in these actions operated different parts of mass-mailing fraud schemes in different parts of the world,” Lynch said in prepared remarks. “But they all acted with the same malicious intent: to take advantage of elderly individuals and other vulnerable citizens.”

As part of the efforts, the US Treasury Department said it had designated a Canadian payments processor, PacNet, which has a network of operations in Europe, Asia, Britain and Africa, as a transnational criminal organization, effectively forcing it out of the US banking system and hampering its access to global financial networks.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees US economic sanctions, also blacklisted 12 people and 24 entities across 18 countries who are suspected of being involved in or supporting PacNet’s operations.

“PacNet has knowingly facilitated the fraudulent activities of its customers for many years and today’s designations are aimed at shielding Americans and the nation’s financial system from the large-scale, illicit money flows that are generated by these scams against vulnerable individuals,” John Smith, OFAC’s acting director, said in a statement.

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less