This scheme is a load of manure and more

This scheme is a load of manure

A California man who convinced investors that he could turn cow manure into energy was sentenced in June to six years in prison.

According to federal prosecutors, Raymond Brewer ran a five-year, $8.75 million Ponzi scheme through a fake business called CH4 Power. Brewer told investors that he owned anaerobic digestion plants that would convert manure into renewable energy. He led investors on tours of dairies, showed them fake lease agreements and altered images of digesters to look like they were under construction, all the while transferring his investors’ funds to multiple bank accounts and buying Dodge Rams and a custom home.

Some investors became suspicious when they discovered that Brewer had issued refunds with money from other investors without their authorization. He then closed CH4 Power, used stolen investor money to obtain a business loan, and lied about building manure-processing plants through another fabricated company.

When authorities arrested him in 2020, Brewer claimed they got the wrong man and that he was a Navy veteran who rescued soldiers from a fire. (See “Man Is Sentenced in $9 Million Cow Manure Ponzi Scheme,” by John Yoon, The New York Times, June 27, 2023.)

Amazon manager sentenced for stealing millions

A former Amazon operations manager was sentenced to 16 years in prison for stealing $9.4 million from the online-retail behemoth. Kayricka Wortham of Atlanta, Georgia, submitted false invoices for fake vendors and redirected the funds to herself. She then used the ill-gotten gains to buy luxury cars and a million-dollar home. Her girlfriend and co-conspirator, Brittany Hudson, helped Wortham by submitting fake invoices for her business that Amazon had hired to deliver packages.

Also in on the scheme were Wortham’s co-workers in loss prevention, human resources and operations management who supplied fake names and Social Security numbers to fabricate vendor accounts and falsify invoices. (See “Amazon manager who bought Lamborghini while leading $9.4M theft ring sentenced 16 years,” by Shannon Thaler, New York Post, Business, July 7, 2023.)

Falling for fake numbers

Online fraudsters in India have a new scheme to steal money. The latest scam, according to Indian press reports, involves thieves changing phone numbers posted on the websites of popular businesses to divert unsuspecting victims’ funds to the cybercriminals themselves.

In one example of the scheme, a doctor in Mumbai lost Rs 1.4 lakh (140,000 rupees or about $1,705) after he used a fake number to order samosas. A scammer who answered the call directed the doctor to pay for his order with a link through WhatsApp, then claimed he never received the payment. The fraudster then told the doctor to use a Google Pay ID to withdraw money from his account, repeating the process until the doctor realized he’d been defrauded.

Indian police officials caution citizens to cross-check numbers found online before making any payments and be wary of vendors who request money for a bill. (See “Mumbai doctor places order for 25 samosas, ends up losing Rs 1.4 lakh,” by Mohamed Thaver, The Indian Express, updated July 19, 2023 and “Mumbai man loses Rs 1.2 lakh while ordering liquor online, here is what happened,” by Divya Bhati, India Today, July 4, 2023.)