AllReaders.net

On June 6th, 2014, AllReaders.net obtained records showing that Yves Cauvin was released from King County Jail after being detained in Lane County Oregon and transferred to Washington on a fugitive warrant.

Cauvin faced numerous fraud charges in Washington State and was recently incarcerated in Nevada for stealing a rental car. After six months of incarceration while awaiting trial at King County Jail, Cauvin plead guilty to Money Laundering to avoid prosecution for fraudulent straw mortgages he orchestrated in 2008 while having absconded from Parole in Nevada. He was picked up by US Marshals on a fugitive warrant and returned to prison in Nevada.

On March 27, 2011 Brian Neil Burkel, the notorious owner of AutographsAmerica.com was arrested for assault; his most recent court appearance was June 6, 2011.

Once we have obtained the documents detailing Mr. Burkels latest court adventure, we will of course post them. Burkel has a history of violence against women; see related doc below regarding a previous arrest for punching a pregnant woman in the stomach.

June 01, 2011

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against an Alberta-based "online operation" that has allegedly bilked customers out of nearly half a billion dollars. In a statement issued earlier this week, the FTC said the complaint centres on 10 online marketing companies controlled by Jesse Willms, a 23-year-old Alberta man.

The FTC has accused those companies of defrauding customers in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand out of more than US$450 million. That allegation has not been proven in court, and Willms has not faced any charges.

According to the complaint, which was filed May 16, Willms' companies operate a scam in which customers are offered "free" or "risk-free" trials and are then charged for products or services they never agreed to buy.

The free trials, advertised through spam and pop-up ads, were for items such as acai berry weight-loss pills, teeth whiteners, health supplements, free credit reports, access to government grants and a work-at-home plan.

Once customers had signed on, the FTC alleges that they often incurred unauthorized monthly charges, typically for $79.95. The complaint also alleges that customers had problems cancelling the charges or securing a refund, despite a money-back guarantee. "The defendants used the lure of a ‘free' offer to open an illegal pipeline to consumers' credit card and bank accounts," said David C. Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in the statement.

"‘Free' must really mean ‘free' no matter where the offer is made." The complaint seeks to stop the alleged illegal scam and to force the companies to repay their customers for money earned through "deceptive tactics." Willms has at least half a dozen websites devoted to his activities. Most tout his philanthropic work.

One site describes him as "a true Canadian success story." It also includes a statement denying the FTC's allegations. "We believe our business practices are compliant with the law and are working to resolve this disagreement with the appropriate government agencies," Willms wrote. "Our companies give consumers the opportunity to buy a variety of products and services at significant savings."

Willms also wrote that he has hired James Kaminski, a Washington-based lawyer who used to work for the FTC "to try to resolve this matter quickly." A number of Canadian authorities including the RCMP, the Alberta Partnership Against Cross Border Fraud and the Competition Bureau of Canada have been assisting in the investigation, the FTC said.

The companies facing allegations include Circle Media Bids, Coastwest Holdings, Farend Services, JDW Media, Net Soft Media, Sphere Media and True Net. All are registered in Canada.

Click Here to View Court Docs

25 June 2010


Scammers are phishing in the Coachella Valley and local banks are warning residents not to take the bait.

Phishing is a type of Internet scam used to obtain confidential information via e-mail, it is a type of identity theft that is an industry-wide, financial experts say.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's name was even fraudulently used in a phishing scheme, according to the FDIC website.

While not a new issue, the problem is “rampant” enough that Indian Wells Councilman Bill Powers, who recently retired as president and CEO of Pacific Western Bank, addressed the issue during the city's June 17 council meeting; “There's an awful lot of phishing going on,” Powers said. “So be careful.”

The Anti-Phishing Working Group estimates that more than 2,600 active phishing sites exist on the Internet, all aimed at conning people into divulging sensitive financial information. Powers was prompted to make the public warning after a few friends contacted him about e-mails they received from Pacific Western Bank.

Bank of America and Wells Fargo patrons also reported receiving similar e-mails, officials say.

“Phishing e-mails are randomly sent and generally, fraudsters don't know if people they send them to are Wells Fargo or Wachovia customers. They simply hope that a percentage of their messages will be received by our customers,” said Amy Savicky, spokeswoman for Wells Fargo.

Customers are encouraged to report such scams to their banks. “Bank of America e-mail will never ask customers to reply with any personal information or data,” said Colleen Haggerty, spokeswoman for Bank of America. “When in doubt, do not click on any links provided"

See our menu bar for phishing scam emails!