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[00:00:34] This is Scams and Cons News with Jim Grinstead.
[00:00:38] In today's news, scammers are using big names in the finance industry to convict us into investing in bogus schemes.
[00:00:49] Could another fry festival be in the making? Daily Variety says so.
[00:00:54] And you'll hear a scammer try to trick medical professionals out of thousands of dollars.
[00:01:00] But first we begin with a Chatham, Illinois woman who's fighting to get squatters out of her house.
[00:01:08] CBS2 has the story.
[00:01:10] On September 23rd, I got a call from the neighbors to say there had been a shooting in the building.
[00:01:15] And when I went to the building and put my key in it didn't work.
[00:01:19] The locks had been changed. A bullet hole now marks the front glass window.
[00:01:24] The person who had been shot in the apartment, guy named Takedo Murray came back from the hospital
[00:01:30] and informed us and the police that he now lived there, that he had rights.
[00:01:34] He was a professional squatter.
[00:01:36] Young has called police who told her to go through the courts.
[00:01:39] She hired an attorney and has been trying to eject Takedo Murray from her mother's home since September.
[00:01:46] It's been a nightmare.
[00:01:47] Takedo Murray has been arrested at least six times since 2017 for drug and weapons charges.
[00:01:53] We went looking for Takedo and at first no one came to the door.
[00:01:57] But a few minutes later, a woman exited the house and approached our truck.
[00:02:01] It was Takedo on the phone and he agreed to talk.
[00:02:04] I'm in the process of finding someone to stay. I mean just came over like that, you know.
[00:02:08] That's all I'm thinking.
[00:02:09] Do you know when you're going to get out?
[00:02:11] Yeah, hopefully by the beginning of May or April. Sometimes in April we've been looking.
[00:02:16] Every time I've been there he's told me that he's leaving in two weeks.
[00:02:20] He's leaving in two weeks. He just cannot find a place.
[00:02:23] The evictions in Chicago, whether it's about squatters or anything else are taking approximately six to eight months.
[00:02:29] Michael Zink, a landlord, tenant attorney not involved with this dispute says squatter cases are on the rise.
[00:02:36] In part because people know they can live rent free for months.
[00:02:40] The problem that police have is when they show up to a scene like that, they don't know who's telling the truth.
[00:02:45] Takedo says he legally rented the home from one of young siblings but couldn't provide any documentation.
[00:02:51] Any reason why she's saying that you're squatting?
[00:02:54] I mean, I don't know. I guess you're trying to get us out of there faster.
[00:02:58] So you acknowledge that it was her mom's building, that her mom owned it?
[00:03:03] Yeah, I guess I acknowledged that her mom and her siblings, that state, I mean, that was their building.
[00:03:09] Darthula says she has been unable to sell the building because of the squatter situation
[00:03:13] and since someone is technically living in the home, the city of Chicago has not shut off the water.
[00:03:18] There is currently a bill for over $1,300 in Darthula's name. She'll be back in court in a couple of weeks.
[00:03:25] Have you ever stopped at an airport charging station to give your phone a quick pick-me-up?
[00:03:30] Well, scammers are hoping that you will.
[00:03:32] The FBI office in Denver calls it juice jacking and here's how it works.
[00:03:37] A scammer puts malware or monitoring software into a public USB port.
[00:03:42] That gives them the ability to steal data off a phone when it plugs in.
[00:03:47] It could include passwords, addresses or banking information.
[00:03:51] Victims could even have their phones locked through the software.
[00:03:54] A spokesperson for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport regularly maintains charging stations
[00:04:01] and removes any cables or cords left behind that could contain malware.
[00:04:06] The agency suggests that you carry your own charging cable
[00:04:09] or make sure your phone is turned off while connected to the charging station.
[00:04:14] This is Scams and Cons News.
[00:04:17] More than 60 medical professionals have been targeted in the Houston area,
[00:04:22] saying they will lose their medical licenses and possibly face fines or jail time
[00:04:27] for not responding to a summons for jury duty.
[00:04:31] Here's what the calls sound like.
[00:04:33] I'm calling in regards to a very important legal matter.
[00:04:37] Does require your immediate decision.
[00:04:39] Please give us a call back at 2-8-1-2-1-5.
[00:04:43] Extension 4.
[00:04:45] Again, this is a corn and I could be reached at 2-8-1-2-1-5.
[00:04:51] Extension 4.
[00:04:53] Thank you.
[00:04:54] Constable Allen Rosen said the audio was being released
[00:04:57] in hopes someone will recognize the voice
[00:04:59] and help police catch the person responsible for impersonating a police officer.
[00:05:05] The Hollywood newspaper, Daily Variety, says another fry festival could be in the works.
[00:05:11] Suspected con artist Billy McFarland is promising there will be a fry festival 2,
[00:05:17] even though there never really was a fry festival 1.
[00:05:21] Quote, fry festival 2 is finally happening.
[00:05:24] The promoter posted on Twitter alongside of Flame Emoji.
[00:05:28] Tell me why you should be invited.
[00:05:30] You'll remember that McFarland promised a fry festival that thousands paid for.
[00:05:35] McFarland was released from prison in 2022
[00:05:38] after doing four years of a six year sentence
[00:05:41] as a result of pleading guilty to charges involving defrauding investors,
[00:05:45] scamming ticket buyers, and more.
[00:05:48] He was fined $26 million as well
[00:05:51] and is vowed to find a way to pay the investors he owes.
[00:05:55] What better way than to try the whole thing again?
[00:05:58] He included his phone number in tweets
[00:06:00] and asked for texts from interesting parties saying
[00:06:03] quote, I owe people $26 million.
[00:06:06] Here's how I'm going to pay it back.
[00:06:09] I spend half my time filming TV shows.
[00:06:12] The other half I focus on what I'm really good at.
[00:06:15] I'm best at creating wild and creative events,
[00:06:18] getting talent together, and delivering the moment.
[00:06:22] He has also said, setting up the idea that he might be
[00:06:25] returning to the scene of his crime as it were,
[00:06:27] McFarland tweeted, people aren't going to get paid back
[00:06:30] if I sit on the couch and watch TV.
[00:06:34] A Gerard Ohio woman has been caught up in a job scam.
[00:06:37] WYTV said the woman applied for and got a job
[00:06:41] with a company called Carbon Health.
[00:06:43] She later got a phone call from a man who said
[00:06:46] he wanted her to send checks so software could be
[00:06:49] purchased for her to do the job from home.
[00:06:51] The woman was instructed to write checks marked
[00:06:54] for deposit only for amounts between $1,000 and $500.
[00:06:58] The checks were to be sent to Obamire International LLC.
[00:07:02] The first check she sent cleared while the second did not.
[00:07:06] Police are continuing their investigation.
[00:07:10] This is Scams and Cons News.
[00:07:25] Let me introduce you to Barry Clue,
[00:07:27] an authorised financial adviser from New Zealand
[00:07:30] and a very special kind of stain on humanity.
[00:07:33] He was a very knowledgeable young guy.
[00:07:36] He was a registered financial adviser.
[00:07:41] Now you could be forgiven for thinking that Barry
[00:07:43] sounds like a great guy and you'd be right.
[00:07:46] Well, right up until the point, when you're wrong.
[00:07:49] To find out how Barry Clue stole over $15 million from 81 victims,
[00:08:09] subscribe to Clueless, the long con.
[00:08:12] That's Clueless spelt K-L-O-O-G-H-L-E-S-S.