You Won’t Believe The Scam That These People Fell For

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Bob The Empire News Potato

COLUMBUS, Ohio –

Across the nation people have reported receiving scam calls that falsely suggest they are in trouble with the IRS. In a recent twist to the old scam, that most people would find ludicrous, cons are asking consumers to pay off their debt in iTunes gift cards.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning consumers to beware of callers who claim to represent the IRS and ask for payment via iTunes gift cards, after 10 Ohioans recently reported losing between $1,000 and $11,500 to the ploy.

The victims were told to purchase iTunes gift cards, often worth $500 each, to resolve the supposed tax problem. After buying the cards, the victims were instructed to read the numbers on the back of the cards over the phone, and assured that this was a more secure method of payment because they were not giving out their credit card or checking information over the phone. Scammers then drained the cards’ funds, making it nearly impossible for the victims to recover the money.

“Obviously the IRS is not going to call you unexpectedly and demand that you pay off tax debt using an iTunes card,” Attorney General DeWine said. “This is not how the IRS operates. But some people are just dumb. We’re encouraging people with sense to talk to friends, family, and neighbors about this.”

8-Year-Old Fakes Cancer To Scam Make-A-Wish Foundation

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Bob The Empire News Potato

ATLANTA, Georgia –

A family in Atlanta convinced their 8-year-old son to go along with faking cancer to get a free trip to Disneyland, say police.

The Marques family, including Mary and Lewis Marques, both 34, and their son, 8-year-old Henry, reportedly visited doctors for over 2 years in the Atlanta area, faking symptoms of severe sickness in hopes of getting a free trip to Florida through the Make-A-Wish foundation.

“The Marques family had a very sophisticated way of doing things, in that they would constantly research rare cancer types, visit a doctor in one area, then falsify medical records, and then visit doctors in another area, using the names and locations of the previous doctor,” said police detective Mario Ferreira. “It was all an extremely elaborate scheme. The amount of time they put into it was intense. At the center of it all, of course, was 8-year-old Henry.”

According to the family, the entire scam was Henry’s idea. He was watching an episode of the TV show House on cable, and asked his mother where they found all the sick people to be in the show. When they explained that everyone, including the children on the show, were all just pretending, Henry asked if he could pretend to be sick and get on TV.

“Henry would not stop hounding us about the kids pretending to be sick. Eventually, we relented, and told him that no, we probably couldn’t get him on TV, but we might be able to get him to meet Mickey and Goofy,” said Lewis Marques. “But he had to promise to never reveal his secret – that he was totally healthy.”

Unfortunately, the secret was revealed after the Make-A-Wish foundation was contacted, as the group often does their own medical check-ups on children. It was then they discovered that Henry was perfectly healthy.

“I’m really sorry for what I did, but I just wanted to be famous!” said Henry. “And then I found out I could meet Mickey, and that seemed so cool. I don’t have any cancers at all, but I do get a cold sometimes. Will that help me go to Disney?

Miss Cleo Diagnosed With Terminal Illness

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Bob The Empire News Potato

LOS ANGELES, California –

Youree Dell Harris, better known as Miss Cleo, has been out of the limelight since her phone service was shut down in 2002. Except for voicing the character of Auntie Poulet in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, her career in the public eye has all but died out. Still, she was beloved by insomniacs who were lulled to sleep by her commercials, and she hopes her fans will donate to her Gofundme campaign.

“I saw it [my illness] in the cards, so it aint no surprise to Auntie Cleo. Of course I thought it’d be the cancer like took me momma, not that damnable lupus. My soul will be at peace with my time on earth as long as I can spend my last days in luxury,” says Harris on her GoFundMe page.

Cleo feels she was cheated by the company who ran her “Call Me Now” phone service, making millions off her likeness. “My destiny in this life was a mansion, not this shithole apartment they got me in now. They cheated me. They cheated my soul. They stole my destiny.”

The Miss Cleo organization was investigated for fraud in the late 90s, and the company she was the spokesman for was forced to shut down.

“Miss Cleo is gonna die? Well hell, ain’t that a bitch,” said one Miss Cleo caller, who was taken for over $3,000 in 1-900 toll charges. “She told me I was going to get very rich someday, and instead, I had to pay out the ass for the calls. They should have called her Miss Clepto the way she screwed everybody.”