Just when you thought Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme were behind us, an alleged perpetrators suicide reminds us that investment fraud is an ongoing, international problem.

A Tennessee car dealer has a warning for consumers cruising the Internet for good deals: don’t send any money unless you’ve physically seen the vehicle and are certain you’re dealing with an actual business.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has permanently halted the operations of Canadian con artists who allegedly posed as domain name registrars and persuaded thousands of U.S. consumers, small businesses and non-profit organizations to pay bogus bills by leading them to believe they would lose their Web site addresses unless they paid. Settlement and default judgment orders signed by the court will bar the deceptive practices in the future.

Hundreds of thousands of consumers may have unknowingly enrolled in membership programs while using websites owned by Bellevue, Wash.-based Intelius.
A two-year investigation by the Washington Attorney General's Office contends Intelius received thousands of consumer complaints regarding unauthorized enrollment in the programs and that company management -- including CEO Naveen Jain -- knew about the complaints but chose to continue the deceptive and tremendously profitable marketing tactics.

The state of New York has secured $10 million in settlements with companies that tricked hundreds of thousands of consumers into signing up for discount clubs that charged hidden fees.

Ohio senior citizens who hoped to receive help in applying to Medicaid became victims of a statewide scam, according to a lawsuit filed recently by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.

Scammers trying to steal consumers' identities create fake websites to simulate actual web pages of banks and well known companies. They create so many pages its almost impossible for search engines to weed them out.

Scam artists are trying to hit the airwaves with offers for free purebred puppies in their latest efforts to dupe consumers out of hundreds of dollars, ConsumerAffairs.com learned.

elaware authorities have arrested the leader of a supposed missionary group that allegedly scammed elderly homeowners.

You don't normally think of Mother's Day as a precarious time, but Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says that's no reason to let your guard day.

American authorities have uncovered a global computer hacking and credit card fraud ring spanning the US, eastern Europe and Asia, officials said.

It all began on Monday. I had a lunch appointment at the Royal Overseas League, one of those timeless clubs in St James's, though not so timeless that I could afford to be late.

Monday sees the launch of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, an awareness drive fronted by BBC TV presenter Adrian Chiles aimed at helping people protect themselves against one of the UK's fastest-growing crimes.

Reports of your friends - and everyone else's friends - being adrift in a war-torn place where strangely enough they can somehow manage to update their Facebook profile to say "Send money!" are exaggerated.

An American woman has revealed how she was swindled out of $400,000 ($270,000) by Nigerian internet fraudsters, in what is believed to be one of the biggest cases of its kind ever recorded.

In European high-stakes poker circles he goes by the name of "The Don", among Mayfair property magnates he calls himself Achilleas Kallakis, and when diplomatic affairs are the topic of the day he likes to be addressed as "His Excellency, ambassador of the Republic of San Marino to the Sultanate of Brunei".

• In April and May 2008, Capital Letters warned against companies who cold-call people who advertise their own cars. Callers pretend they have a guaranteed buyer who will pay substantially more than the asking price – provided sellers fork out £79 to £99.

Encouraged by TV talent shows to believe modelling and acting work can be viable careers, many aspiring hopefuls are being duped by unscrupulous agencies, reports Cath Janes.

What does a valuation surveyor actually do? Don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are surveyors. I'm not anti-surveyor, but ...

Have you had a text message, apparently from the taxman, telling you there is a rebate waiting for you and to contact them with your details?

Identity fraud costs the UK more than £1bn every year – and that takes no account of the distress suffered by customers who discover their personal information has been stolen and used by thieves. While, initially, much of the £1bn bill is met by credit card companies and banks, they inevitably pass on the cost to consumers through charges. Tomorrow sees the launch of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, an awareness drive aimed at helping people to protect themselves. Here, we show you how to check your file for any fraudulent activity, and shift any stains on your credit file:

UK police this week shut down more than 1,200 scam websites that claimed to be selling designer clothes and jewellery, in what is thought to be the biggest single swoop of its kind in the world.

Thousands of consumers seem to have been collectively duped out of up to £1m by a website that promised designer clothing and footwear at hugely discounted prices.

Tenants who are searching online for a room or property to rent have been warned to watch out for money transfer scams involving "phantom" flats.