MPs have said the government needs to learn how to better manage crises like the COVID-19 pandemic in order to tackle fraud and error, which cost taxpayers billions of pounds. The Committee of Public Accounts (CPA) has issued a report looking into the challenges and opportunities across Whitehall during the period that Britain opened up…

CHARLESTON, S.C.—Alex Murdaugh was arraigned Wednesday on federal money laundering and wire fraud charges for indictments saying he stole money from his clients, and although he pleaded not guilty for now, his lawyer said that might change soon. Murdaugh is already serving a life sentence in a South Carolina state prison for killing his wife…

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh is facing federal charges for the first time after being indicted on 22 financial fraud charges over allegations that the disgraced former attorney schemed to steal settlement money from clients. The indictments unsealed Wednesday don’t appear to reveal any new allegations against Murdaugh, a once prominent attorney in South Carolina…

BOSTON—A father and son from Massachusetts have both been sent to prison for running an elaborate lottery fraud scheme designed to enrich themselves and help prize winners avoid paying taxes on their windfall, prosecutors said. Ali Jaafar, 63, and Yousef Jaafar, 29, both of Watertown, cashed in 14,000 winning lottery tickets over a roughly 10-year…

NEW YORK—A former civilian employee at a U.S. Army facility in South Korea has been arrested on charges of receiving $400,000 in kickbacks from military contractors, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday. Young Beom Kim, 62, was responsible for overseeing construction contracts at the Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey from 2017 to 2021. Prosecutors said he…

The House voted on May 11 to pass legislation aimed at incentivizing states to claw back fraudulently paid unemployment benefits made during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill, H. R. 1163, known as the “Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act” passed in a 230–200 vote, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans in voting for the legislation. Under the legislation…

A register used to identify dirty Russian money in the UK has 70 children listed as foreign company owners. The House of Lords heard on Tuesday how the newly released Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) also includes one company owner born in 1897—making the person 126 years old. The anomalies were discussed as peers revealed…

A new report by British Columbia’s auditor general says almost half of the government’s ministries have been affected by some type of fraud between 2021 and 2022, most commonly theft. Michael Pickup says his results suggest not all ministries are following the same approach for managing risk or they don’t have a full understanding of…

A doctor in Orange County, California, has been charged by federal prosecutors for orchestrating approximately $230 million worth of fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Justice announced the charges against Dr. Anthony Ha Dinh and 17 other individuals on April 20. The total “intended fraud loss” among all 18 defendants is over $490…

President Biden’s nominee for Department of Labor Secretary was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill yesterday. Senate Republicans grilled Julie Su over the massive fraud that took place under her watch in a previous post. The first so-called smart gun is set to hit the market by the end of this year. The Biden…