deception

17 Stories

Magicians Society on the Hunt for a One-Time Deceiver

Actor Sophie Lloyd tricked her way into all-male Magic Circle, then vanished when they booted her

(Newser) - The Magic Circle, a century-old magicians society, admits those able to prove their skill in the art. But for most of its history, it considered only men. In the late 1980s, magician Jenny Winstanley sought to challenge her exclusion by tricking the club into admitting its first woman and recruited...

Secret WWII 'Ghost Army' Finally Getting Its Due

US outfit that tricked Hitler will receive Congress' highest honor this week

(Newser) - A once-secret Army unit tasked with the unusual mission of tricking Adolf Hitler about the size of enemy troops will receive Congress' highest honor this week. The "Ghost Army"—more formally known as the Army's 23rd Headquarters Special Troops—will receive the Congressional Gold Medal on Thursday,...

'Perla' Lured Them Onto Planes: 'This Woman Lied to Us'

Woman allegedly involved in Martha's Vineyard flights IDed as ex-counterintelligence agent

(Newser) - As a class-action lawsuit proceeds against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his role in transporting mostly Venezuelan asylum-seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, apparently under false pretenses, media outlets are reporting more on the woman who supposedly lured them onto the planes that took them there. Attorneys for some...

Cops: Banned Magician Entering Casino Was Just the Start

Shaun Benward accused of scamming Pennsylvania casino—and not for the first time

(Newser) - A self-described "magician" and "illusionist" with a long history of scamming casinos has allegedly struck again. Shaun Joseph Benward, 35, of Ocean Springs, Miss., is accused of working with 42-year-old Denielle Yvonne Derohan of Gulfport, Miss., to steal more than $10,000 from Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pa....

How MoviePass Tried to Keep Users From Seeing Movies

FTC outlines deceptive practices after offer of unlimited movies

(Newser) - MoviePass promised unlimited movie tickets for $9.95 a month, but the result was altogether different. Executives made it very difficult for people to actually use the service, forcing password resets, installing surprise limits on accounts, and exposing personal data, according to the FTC . "MoviePass and its executives went...

Woman Tricks Friend Into Quitting Job, Gets Over 2 Years
Woman Tricks
Friend Into
Quitting Job,
Gets Over
2 Years
in case you missed it
Feb 2, 2020 10:16 AM CST

Woman Tricks Friend Into Quitting Job, Gets Over 2 Years

Helen Dove, 31, is found guilty of fraud

(Newser) - A British woman is facing over 2 1/2 years in prison for tricking a friend into believing she had found her a dream job, the Guardian reports. Helen Dove, 31, impersonated 15 people and sent thousands of emails in an elaborate scheme against 43-year-old Kimberley Baker—all while they were...

The Fraud Might've Worked, If Not for the Camera

Prosecutors say video shows fake slip and fall in NJ

(Newser) - Alexander Goldinsky allegedly looked to see if anyone was watching before pouring ice cubes on the floor and "falling." According to prosecutors in New Jersey's Middlesex County, he failed to notice the surveillance camera watching his every move. Goldinsky, 57, is charged with insurance fraud and theft...

They Thought They Were Adopting. Then, 'the Rug Was Pulled'

Fla. woman accused of promising her unborn child to 2 different couples, defrauding them of $19K

(Newser) - A couple thought they'd be adopting in the fall the baby Christina Bay was carrying, and they signed a contract in the spring and handed over nearly $15,000 to pay for the Florida woman's living arrangements in Daytona Beach during her pregnancy. The problem was, police say,...

Was Touching Story of Helpful Homeless Man a Scam?

Johnny Bobbitt to face charges along with NJ couple, NBC Philadelphia reports

(Newser) - It’s not only the founders of a disputed GoFundMe campaign that raised $400,000 for a homeless man who find themselves in hot water . NBC Philadelphia reports Kate McClure, Mark D'Amico, and Johnny Bobbitt will face charges of conspiracy and theft by deception for allegedly concocting a false...

Man Accused of Breaking In, Then a 'Dirt-Baggish' Move

Cops say Matthew Robert Paul rented out home that wasn't his while owners were vacationing

(Newser) - With a fireplace and a deck overlooking the bay, the home on Hermosa Beach Road was a desirable rental—so much so that a man who didn't even own the Marysville, Wash., home rented it out. KIRO 7 reports 35-year-old Matthew Robert Paul (or "Ryan," as the...

Wash. AG Blasts 'Shocking Deception' by Comcast

State attorney general's office expands $100M suit about service plan

(Newser) - "New evidence" has emerged to expand a $100 million 2016 lawsuit against Comcast by Washington state, with accusations of "deceptive conduct" that's "even more egregious than we first realized." That's per the state attorney general, Ars Technica reports, with an amended complaint filed in...

Macy's, JC Penney Sued Over Bargains That Aren't Bargains

'Customers have the right to be told the truth about the prices they're paying'

(Newser) - Los Angeles prosecutors on Thursday sued four national retailers, accusing them of duping shoppers into believing they got bigger discounts than they actually did, the AP reports. The separate lawsuits alleging deceptive advertising were filed against JC Penney, Sears, Kohl's, and Macy's, according to the Los Angeles city...

Katie Couric Accused of Deceptive Edit in Guns Film

She and documentary maker stand by the final cut

(Newser) - Katie Couric is taking serious flak over the edited version of an interview with gun supporters in a documentary. In Under the Gun, Couric asks the group, "If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?" As this...

By 6 or 7, Kids Learn How to Lie and Distrust
By 6 or 7, Kids Learn How
to Lie and Distrust
study says
Sep 3, 2014 10:26 AM CDT

By 6 or 7, Kids Learn How to Lie and Distrust

Lying comes before distrust, researchers find

(Newser) - Kids are capable of thinking strategically, including using competitiveness and lies to their own benefit, by the time they're 7. So report researchers out of the University of Minnesota who studied 69 kids ages 3 to 9 playing two games. Kids typically figure out how to infer what others...

Go Ahead, Lie to Yourself

 Go Ahead, 
 Lie to Yourself  
in case you missed it
Aug 4, 2012 7:00 PM CDT

Go Ahead, Lie to Yourself

Self-deception can be a good thing, in moderation, say researchers

(Newser) - Tell yourself sweet little lies. That's the advice of several researchers looking into the habit of self-deception. In some cases, inflating your sense of your own intelligence or abilities could help you attain goals, reports the Wall Street Journal , provided the habit doesn't become a crutch. Studies have...

A New Way to Cheat on Your Spouse: Lie About Money

One in three admit to fibbing about financial matters

(Newser) - Infidelity isn't always the stuff of illicit affairs. A new survey shows that 31% of Americans who combine their finances with a spouse have lied about money to said spouse. "Financial infidelity may be the new normal," writes Jenna Goudreau at her Forbes blog . The most common misdeeds...

Cancer May Have Killed FDR
 Cancer May Have Killed FDR 
NEW BOOK
Nov 24, 2009 2:11 PM CST

Cancer May Have Killed FDR

Possible deception in 1944 election raises lots of what-if questions

(Newser) - Speculating about Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s real cause of death has been a popular sport for years, and now two authors have a provocative theory: brain cancer. The shifting opinions are well documented: FDR’s own doctor, who at first likened the deadly brain hemorrhage to a “bolt of...

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