The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "swindling" ...
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A Staggering Swindle
A real estate scam involving rented identities to purchase properties could cost the U.S. taxpayers millions. 81 bogus condos face foreclosure thanks to the scam artist Jim McConville.
Tags: real estate; condos; McConville; boom; mortgage; foreclosure; scam; San Diego;
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Flip This House
This story details the con man behind the reality show "Flip This House," who swindled thousands of dollars from dozens of victims. Also, the reporters discovered that behind the scenes, "the home renovations were shoddy, open house events were staged and so-called profitable home sales were actually faked."
Tags: reality TV; con man; swindle; fake scenes; staged events;
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Controversy surrounds final years of life of Masumi Murasaki and his caregiver, Jennifer Alonso-Toma, now wife of mayoral candidate Duke Bainum
In 1997 when Masumi Murasaki died, his family members found out that his care taker Jennifer Alonso-Toma had swindled over $200,000 from him. She later got married to mayoral candidate, Duke Bainum. This story questions Bainum's judgement and whether he is fit to be mayor.
Tags: Masumi Murasaki; Duke Bainum; Masumi Murasaki; Jennifer Alonso-Toma; mayoral candidate; Honolulu
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The Closer
This CBS investigation looks at how con men swindle retired people of their life's savings. They make calls to these affluent elderly people saying that they had won the Canadian sweepstakes. They would then demand a sum of money to get the prize money to them. The con men made up to $5 billion from unsuspecting elderly people.
Tags: CBS; con men; closer; Canadian lottery scam; Canadian sweepstakes; retirees; affluent retirees
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Dallas Police Department
These stories investigate the quality of officers being recruited by the police department. The reporters found that the police chief was allowing multiple chances for the recruits to complete training - something that is not common in large police departments. They also found that one of the officers was under investigation in a homicide, was fired and three years later was hired as a patrol officer.
Tags: Dallas Police Academy
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The Emperor of Greed
What goes up, comes down. However, Global Crossing telecom head Gary Winnick dug his own grave, says Fortune. After transforming himself from a furniture salesman to one of the most sought-after millionaires, Winnick started swindling money from Global Crossing. And it only had to stop when the telecom giant with a simple business plan filed for bankruptcy after the dot-com and telco bust.
Tags: investment; telco; AT & T
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Twin City Terror Connection
A KMSP-TV investigation uncovered evidence of "a possible 'terror cell' in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. (KMSP-TV traced) the steps of a convicted felon, an illegal alien from Pakistan who swindled thousands of dollars from Minnesota banks in a very short period of time in early 2001. ... (KMSP-TV) found evidence of possible connections to Al Qaida."
Tags: terrorism; September 11; Al Qaida; Al Qaeda; Osama bin Laden; Minneapolis; St. Paul; Minnesota; TAPE; TRANSCRIPT
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Tricks of the Trade
The Dallas Morning News tells the story of Catherine Shelton, a Texas lawyer who had been "implicated in a series of violent incidents -- including murder. She had been accused of more than (once) of swindling clients and of being a bad lawyer. Yet, she continues to work as a criminal defense attorney with the blessing of the State Bar of Texas."
Tags: Texas; lawyer; Catherine Shelton; murder; State Bar of Texas; law; legal
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2002 IRE National Conference Show and Tell Tape #2
2002 IRE National Conference (San Francisco) Show and Tell Tape #2 features the following stories 1) Tim Minton (WNBC-New York City) Security at local hospitals are lacking. 2) Brian Collister (KMOL-San Antonio) An inordinate number of court case have been thrown out of the local county court because judges ruled the defendants lacked a speedy trial. 3) Clips from a PBS project concerning scientists' genetic experiments. 4) Kevin Quinn (KFSN-Fresno) Area residents are suspicious of a local Muslim village called Baladullah, where the sounds gunfire has been heard emanating from the grounds. 5) Dan Noyes (KGO-San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose) Guardrails in California are often installed incorrectly, turning the protective barriers into potential dangers. 6) Craig Fiegener (ABC 30 Action News) Fifteen travelers are swindled by a travel agency, which sold them unconfirmed tickets for a cruise. 7) Joel Grover (CBS 2-Los Angeles) An undercover investigation reveals that valet parking attendants at LA's hottest night clubs steal from their customers. 8) Paul Gallagher (60 Minutes) An investigation of the U.S. Marine Corps' MV-22 "Osprey" aircraft reveals serious mechanical problems that contributed to two crashes in 2000, which killed 23 Marines. 60 Minutes also reports that "senior officers in the Osprey squadron had deliberately falsified maintenance records and lied about the aircraft's readiness -- in an apparent effort by the Marine Corps to win Pentagon approval for full production of the aircraft, at a projected cost to U.S. taxpayers of $41 billion." 9) Tom Martino (KDVR-Denver) An undercover investigation reveals that many beauty salons use a dangerous chemical to make fake nails. 10) (WGHP-Greensboro) An investigation reveals that construction works who built the homes in a subdivision failed to install the chimneys correctly, making them dangerous for those who live there. 11) Darcy Spears (KVBC-Las Vegas) A hearing aid center uses bait and switch tactics to take advantage of the elderly. 12) Jim Kenyon (WSTM-Syracuse, New York) Criminals in Canada involved in advance fee loan scams trick Americans out of thousands of dollars. 13) Bob Segall (WITI-Milwaukee) An undercover investigation reveals that security guards at a local county courthouse don't do a good job of stopping banned items from entering the building. 14) Karen Hensel (WISH-Indianapolis) Marian County inspectors don't always review homes under construction. 15) (WBTV-Charlotte, N.C.) Members of the Iredell-Statesville School Board use district funds to attend an education conference -- but then skip the convention and go on a vacation to Disney World, all on the taxpayer's dime. 16) Valeri Williams (WFAA-Dallas/Fort Worth) WFAA-TV follows up its 2000 IRE Awards entry with this return investigation into Fort Worth's John Peter Smith Hospital. Reporter Williams and producer Schucker continued their investigation, focusing on Dr. Lydia Grotti and her connection to suspicious and overlooked deaths in the emergency room. As a result of WFAA-TV's investigation the Texas Department of Health began conducting its own investigation and discovered additional deaths that took place in the ER. The county district attorney's office called in a special prosecutor to examine a total of eight suspicious deaths in connection with Dr. Grotti at the hospital. On Tape #2 is a short clip of Williams' work. Tape #3 features the entire series of stories she played at Show and Tell.
Tags: TAPE; San Francisco; conference; no transcripts; IRE
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Auto motives
Indianapolis Monthly investigates a flawed auto-mall scheme, which lured some 60 prominent investors, and then went bankrupt. The story exposes the questionable business practices of the person behind the scheme - Jimmy O'Neal, former Hamilton County newspaper publisher and former friend of the golf great Arnold Palmer. "Without Arnold Palmer's friendship, O'Neal might never have gotten his auto-mall scheme out of first gear," the magazine reports. A major finding is that the O'Neils have taken cash out of the auto-mall corporation, and have been spending investors' funds on luxury vacations and parties for several years.
Tags: FBI; litigation; courts; sports; fraud; swindling; Arnold Palmer Automotive Group; accountancy