What is Affinity Fraud? I recently stumbled upon a 3-part video on Affinity Fraud, aptly titled Affinity Fraud: Preying on Those Who Pray. Every year, billions of dollars (in the U.S. alone) are stolen from unsuspecting victims of this kind of fraud. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUv4dDavC6U&list=PLDF985F76B59B68E7&index=1 Simply put, although there’s nothing simple about it, affinity fraud occurs when [...]
Former Detroit Mayor Back in the News In June of 2011 I wrote about former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has been back in the news, for a conviction on a plethora of charges, including racketeering, fraud, and extortion. He was found guilty of 24 of the 30 charges brought against him. Kilpatrick was joined [...]
Debt Collection, or Lack Thereof As reported recently by The Long Beach Post, according to an audit of the City's Business Relation Bureau that spanned two years, $2.4 to $2.6 million in outstanding business license accounts have not been collected by the City of Long Beach. http://www.lbpost.com/business/2000001889-city-auditor-2-4-to-2-6m-in-delinquent-business-license-accounts-uncollected#.UTTbYldZ_Q8 Residents are fuming at the lack of tenacity [...]
It's always stunning to me how many families represent almost no taxable income but live in splendor in vast palatial estates in fancy neighborhoods. They often have a matched pair of incredibly expensive German cars in the driveway. Their kids go to private schools and the family passports are stamped from a variety of exotic [...]
What does bankruptcy approval for the City of Stockton mean for other California cities? Perhaps it paves the way for other California cities (such as the City of San Bernardino who filed for bankruptcy protection in August) to do the same. According to Cal Watchdog, Your Eyes on California Government, the City of Stockton owes [...]
