The Scams, Scandals, Hoaxes, Frauds and Pranks of August

[EDITOR'S NOTE: When you are told you can protest if you first apply to the government, and then are arrested for applying to protest, that is fake, fraud, hoax or anything else you want to call it.]

--21 Aug. 2008
Text hoaxes plague Obama VP plan
CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- By the time Barack Obama is ready to announce his vice presidential pick, will anyone believe him? In recent days, as speculation and anticipation has mounted, so too have phony text messages declaring Obama's supposed running mate--from Evan Bayh and Hillary Rodham Clinton to Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. It's a cruel twist in a prolonged game of guessing that has put political junkies and Democratic supporters on edge since the campaign announced last week that it would disclose Obama's choice through text messaging, which is expected to happen by Saturday. In the absence of real information, pranksters have filled the gap with guidance from the website Wonkette--and maybe Howard Stern, too.
--Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico.com

--21 Aug. 2008
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Sides With Banks Against Consumers on Credit Card Reform Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is urging the Federal Reserve Board and other federal regulators to water down a proposed set of rules that would prohibit banks from engaging in certain unfair and deceptive credit card lending practices, according to Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports ... "The OCC is essentially saying that if banks can't trick or cheat consumers they won't be able to offer credit," said Gail Hillebrand, Senior Staff Attorney with Consumers Union. "It is outrageous that the federal regulator overseeing the banking industry is so out of step with the needs of millions of Americans unfairly trapped in debt by abusive credit card practices."
--Gail Hillebrand and  Lauren Zeichner, Consumers Union Press Release

--22 Aug. 2008
Larry Mendte Pleads Guilty To Hacking Into Lane's E-Mail
PHILADELPHIA -- Former CBS 3 anchorman Larry Mendte pleaded guilty in federal court to hacking into his former co-anchor's computer. Mendte admitted accessing Alycia Lane's home computer more than 500 times this year. Prosecutors said Mendte used some of Lane's personal e-mail to publicly embarrass her. Investigators confiscated Mendte's home and office computers back in May. "The text of those e-mails was found on Mr. Mendte's computer and ended up in the After 6 gossip section of the New York Daily News," [said] Michael Levy, assistant U.S. attorney. Mendte admitted to trying to sabotage Lane's New York criminal case. Lane was arrested on charges that she allegedly assaulted a New York police officer in December 2007. "Mr. Mendte was reading the e-mail between herself and her attorneys about this New York criminal case and leaking them to the press," Levy said.