O.C. EBT cardholders are getting scammed via text messages
The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is warning clients who possess an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to be on the lookout for potential scammers trying to obtain…
Bogus O.C. insurance agent took $1.4 M in workers’ compensation payments from local businesses
ORANGE, Calif. — Unlicensed insurance agent Karyl Lynn Reed, 57, formerly of Cosa Mesa, was arraigned today on multiple felony counts of grand theft, forgery, embezzlement, and aggravated white-collar crime…
Former O.C. pastor gets 14 years in prison for conning investors out of $33M
The former pastor of the Westminster-based Church of the Healthy Self was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for orchestrating a church-based investment scam that took in more than…
Five defendants charged with operating a massive O.C. based loan debt relief fraud scheme
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest of Angela Kathryn Mirabella, the 47-year-old leader of a nationwide, multiyear, multimillion-dollar student loan debt relief scam. The defendant owned a network of third-party…
Seven O.C. defendants charged with defrauding 79 victims with a mortgage and foreclosure scam
Seven suspects are facing multiple felony charges for offering fraudulent mortgage foreclosure consulting and debt consolidations at offices in Tustin and in Santa Ana. In total they are alleged to…
How you can help to fight EDD fraud
This week, the State of California Employment Development Department warned Californians to be on alert for scammers who pretend to be EDD or Bank of America in an attempt to…
Former Lake Forest insurance agent arrested on 90 counts of felony insurance fraud
ORANGE, Calif. — Former insurance broker Karen Marie Dondanville, 53, of Mission Viejo, was arrested on 90 felony counts including grand theft, insurance fraud, financial elder abuse, and forgery for…
Former O.C. resident charged with fraud after a bogus $14M stock offering
SANTA ANA, California – A former Southern California resident was charged today with defrauding more than 100 investors out of $14 million by using boiler room tactics to fraudulently offer…
Ignore bogus COVID-19 vaccine surveys
Scammers are using a new trick to steal your money and personal information: a bogus COVID vaccine survey. People across the country are reporting getting emails and texts out of…
Suspect arrested for defrauding O.C. models
This is worth the read. Especially if you're the parent of a young woman or an aspiring model/influencer looking to have professional pictures and work done for a portfolio. On…
Former Tustin bank branch sentenced after stealing over $1M from a customer with dementia
LOS ANGELES – A former Comerica bank branch manager was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million from an elderly customer with dementia,…
The OCDA is prosecuting several O.C. suspects who filed fake COVID-19 related unemployment claims
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer was joined by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris at a press conference this morning to announce the prosecution of two business owners…
Armed convicted felon in Garden Grove charged with eight felony counts of fraud
Stephanie Barajas must have thought she had gotten away with it. She and other occupants had checked out of a local hotel in Garden Grove about a week ago, but…