Most Intriguing Fraud Cases - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jasonbigley · 03-09-2010, 12:28 PM

* Andolina Gonzalez
* The Sweet Granny Con
* "Bonnie"
* The Fake Countess
* The Sweetheart Swindler

I thought it was terrible that Andolina Gonzalez got away with her scam with the judge. I hope she gets caught or someone scams her. Im not sure if the sweet granny got caught. She is the one that was business partners with her son and they bilked their investors of money. She is the one that would give away fruit cakes. I think I read somewhere where "Bonnie" got caught in 2003 for identity fraud. She was the fat ugly woman who stole money from the department store she worked at. The fake countess ended up going to prison for her fraud. The sweetheart swindler is an all too common case. You really have to be careful with those people.

Mastermind · 03-09-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

You really have to be careful with those people.

The problems is that these fraud artists are predators like serial killers and robbers. They search and use your weaknesses against you. They're like cheetahs going after a herd. While they try to find the old and the sick. If one is not available they will go after the strong if necessary.

All the caution in the world may not prevent you from being a victim of a fraud artists, just like all the caution in the world might not prevent your house from being ransacked. or yourself from being killed.

Apostapler · 03-09-2010, 01:15 PM

Yep the "Sweet Granny", aka Gertrude Pruitt, was eventually caught.

Hmmm can't remember his name, but they guy who bilked members of a retirement community out of millions by posing as a broker for the Kemper Group.

Phillip Breen- was he ever caught?

The one who went diving with his son and "disappeared" after defrauding the government of profits from retail gasoline sales.

Corky Kneivel · 03-09-2010, 01:46 PM

Great avatar, Apostapler.

The con segments are my 11 year olds favorites. She likes the one with the lottery tickets.

DP1 · 03-10-2010, 12:54 AM

Wasn't there one where a rabbi was stealing millions of dollars around the world?

xxxxmattxxxx69 · 03-10-2010, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DP1

Wasn't there one where a rabbi was stealing millions of dollars around the world?

Joseph Prushikowski(sp?)? I forget how to spell his name but I think thats who you mean.

My favorite fraud segment was the "swoop and SQuat". When people would stage car accidents usually with 18 wheelers and then complain of soft tissue injury because it was too hard to disprove

Mastermind · 03-10-2010, 02:13 PM

The Lancaster Letters might be the most brilliant extortion plot I have ever seen.

Even though they got caught, there was a lot of thought and planning that went into the scam.

In theory it could work brilliantly.

I think there problem was that they tried it on too small a sample. They needed more people in order to hide their tracks.

I'm surprised nobody has ever tried to do this again.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-11-2010, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corky Kneivel

Great avatar, Apostapler.

The con segments are my 11 year olds favorites. She likes the one with the lottery tickets.

You have no idea how much I pray my future children turn out like yours, Corky.

This is a great thread topic, I think. My favorites:

- Bonnie Wilder
- Eric Kessler
- Phillip Breen
- Dan Tondevold
- Liz Carmichael

leafygreens · 03-13-2010, 10:17 PM

Scary Fraud cases:

- The one where they fake pulled chicken parts out of the peoples' stomachs!

- The one where the man dressed in drag goes into the travel office!

- Liz Carmichael was freaky!

rerungirl · 03-14-2010, 02:37 PM

One of my favorite fraud segments was about a heavy set man who checked himself into hospitals complaining of back pain. He'd contact lawyers in the area and convince them to give him some money, then he'd take off never to be heard from again. He died during one of his hospital stays, but authorities didn't know his real identity. It has been a long time since I've seen this segment, but I think the case was eventually solved. Seems like he had been doing this hospital con for years. Always wondered what this guy's background was (had he always been a con artist?) and if he had a family that he left behind.

Prodigy · 04-06-2010, 04:21 PM

Theres so many to choose from but one story that always got me was Liz Carmichael, the transvestite con artist that claimed that her new 3 wheeled car, "The Dale" could travel 70 miles on a single gallon of gas and was extremely safe and strong and would only cost like $2,000 or something if I remember correctly.. From memory she attracted hordes of media attention, millions of dollars without anyone really questioning her claims about her "revolutionary" 3 wheeled car and then did a runner..

nicoge21 · 04-06-2010, 04:49 PM

What about that woman who claimed she had psychic powers and scammed some elderly woman into burning money for some sort of religious cult inside a garbage can and throwing it off a bridge, was that woman caught?

and there was another fraud segment that I don't remember much, all I remember seeing is a scene where this lady drove with this guy to a bank or a building or a warehouse or something, and she told him to go inside and get something, and when he came out she drove off. Which one was that?

MegtheEgg86 · 04-06-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicoge21

What about that woman who claimed she had psychic powers and scammed some elderly woman into burning money for some sort of religious cult inside a garbage can and throwing it off a bridge, was that woman caught?

I remember that one. If I recall correctly, the woman in question was never found and the statute of limitations eventually ran out on that case.

SitcomsAreTheWay · 04-06-2010, 09:30 PM

The two women having posed as mother and daughter in order to swindle a broken-hearted divorcee.

starmushrooms · 04-06-2010, 11:37 PM

*Garland "Rusty" Russel

I have probably seen this case a dozen times and never payed attention to where this took place. Pierson is about 45 minutes from me and I travel over there frequently. I would never have known there was a nudest camp over there. I'm sure there are directions online but if you go there it is not something you would see around town.

Small world. Now I'm going to be intrigued when I go over there next, LOL.

03-09-2010, 12:28 PM	#1
jasonbigley Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 14, 2008 Location: California Posts: 501	Most Intriguing Fraud Cases * Andolina Gonzalez * The Sweet Granny Con * "Bonnie" * The Fake Countess * The Sweetheart Swindler I thought it was terrible that Andolina Gonzalez got away with her scam with the judge. I hope she gets caught or someone scams her. Im not sure if the sweet granny got caught. She is the one that was business partners with her son and they bilked their investors of money. She is the one that would give away fruit cakes. I think I read somewhere where "Bonnie" got caught in 2003 for identity fraud. She was the fat ugly woman who stole money from the department store she worked at. The fake countess ended up going to prison for her fraud. The sweetheart swindler is an all too common case. You really have to be careful with those people.

04-06-2010, 11:37 PM	#15
starmushrooms Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 15, 2010 Location: FL Posts: 74	*Garland "Rusty" Russel I have probably seen this case a dozen times and never payed attention to where this took place. Pierson is about 45 minutes from me and I travel over there frequently. I would never have known there was a nudest camp over there. I'm sure there are directions online but if you go there it is not something you would see around town. Small world. Now I'm going to be intrigued when I go over there next, LOL.
	__________________ Can you solve the mystery of El Dorado, AR. Jane Doe? AKA Cheryl Ann Wick AKA Kelly Lee Karr AKA Sharon Wiley

03-09-2010, 01:15 PM	#3
Apostapler Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 06, 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 872	Yep the "Sweet Granny", aka Gertrude Pruitt, was eventually caught. Hmmm can't remember his name, but they guy who bilked members of a retirement community out of millions by posing as a broker for the Kemper Group. Phillip Breen- was he ever caught? The one who went diving with his son and "disappeared" after defrauding the government of profits from retail gasoline sales.

03-09-2010, 01:46 PM	#4
Corky Kneivel Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: Sacratomato Posts: 570	Great avatar, Apostapler. The con segments are my 11 year olds favorites. She likes the one with the lottery tickets.

03-10-2010, 12:54 AM	#5
DP1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 21, 2004 Posts: 394	Wasn't there one where a rabbi was stealing millions of dollars around the world?

03-10-2010, 02:13 PM	#7
Mastermind Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 16, 2008 Posts: 1,843	The Lancaster Letters might be the most brilliant extortion plot I have ever seen. Even though they got caught, there was a lot of thought and planning that went into the scam. In theory it could work brilliantly. I think there problem was that they tried it on too small a sample. They needed more people in order to hide their tracks. I'm surprised nobody has ever tried to do this again.

03-13-2010, 10:17 PM	#9
leafygreens Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 183	Scary Fraud cases: - The one where they fake pulled chicken parts out of the peoples' stomachs! - The one where the man dressed in drag goes into the travel office! - Liz Carmichael was freaky!

03-14-2010, 02:37 PM	#10
rerungirl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 23, 2002 Location: Midwest Posts: 295	One of my favorite fraud segments was about a heavy set man who checked himself into hospitals complaining of back pain. He'd contact lawyers in the area and convince them to give him some money, then he'd take off never to be heard from again. He died during one of his hospital stays, but authorities didn't know his real identity. It has been a long time since I've seen this segment, but I think the case was eventually solved. Seems like he had been doing this hospital con for years. Always wondered what this guy's background was (had he always been a con artist?) and if he had a family that he left behind.

04-06-2010, 04:21 PM	#11
Prodigy Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 06, 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 14	Theres so many to choose from but one story that always got me was Liz Carmichael, the transvestite con artist that claimed that her new 3 wheeled car, "The Dale" could travel 70 miles on a single gallon of gas and was extremely safe and strong and would only cost like $2,000 or something if I remember correctly.. From memory she attracted hordes of media attention, millions of dollars without anyone really questioning her claims about her "revolutionary" 3 wheeled car and then did a runner..

04-06-2010, 04:49 PM	#12
nicoge21 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 19, 2009 Posts: 176	What about that woman who claimed she had psychic powers and scammed some elderly woman into burning money for some sort of religious cult inside a garbage can and throwing it off a bridge, was that woman caught? and there was another fraud segment that I don't remember much, all I remember seeing is a scene where this lady drove with this guy to a bank or a building or a warehouse or something, and she told him to go inside and get something, and when he came out she drove off. Which one was that?

04-06-2010, 09:30 PM	#14
SitcomsAreTheWay Retro Sitcoms Fanatic Forum Regular Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: NY Posts: 612	The two women having posed as mother and daughter in order to swindle a broken-hearted divorcee.