Court To Scammer, "Give Up Your House Or Go To Jail" 152
coondoggie writes "Too many online scammers get away with what amounts to a wrist-slap, but a case if Las Vegas this week seems to be heading the right direction. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a business opportunity scammer has been held in contempt for the second time by a federal court and ordered to turn over the title of his home in Las Vegas or face jail time. The court found that the operator of the scam, Richard Neiswonger, failed to deliver marketable title to his home, in violation of a previous court order entering a $3.2 million judgment against him, the FTC stated. The FTC charged that the defendant deceived consumers with false promises that they could make a six-figure income by selling his 'asset protection services' to those seeking to hide their assets from potential lawsuits or creditors."
Re:Not really... (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, this house is just a decoy. All of his real assets, being protected, are hidden.
Re:Not really... (Score:5, Funny)
Given the state of the housing market in California, isn't it equally possible that he simply doesn't have a title to the place at all?
Re:WTF? (Score:1, Funny)
Not Funny so no "Haha!" (Score:1, Funny)
It's deliberate irony, though, which is unfunny in the same way that explaining a joke makes the joke not be funny. The lose-your-big-assets sentence was almost certainly chosen because of what the scammer was advertising.
This isn't spontaneous enough to be "haha!" worthy.
Or to put it another way: this very post (explaining why it isn't funny) isn't funny, and if you reply to explain why you think it's still funny, the story gets even less funny.
Re:Not really... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
That sounds better to me too. Punishing these people is a start but the reality is we need to do a better job of educating consumers. As long as there are suckers there will be people trying to scam them.
Hear! Hear! In fact, I have just the cure-for-naivete/stupidity you're looking for... right here and for a limited time only I'm willing to offer you a secret extract derived the the lubricant glands of the rare pythonus imaginarius. This elixir has been known cure even the most obstinately held absurd beliefs, why just the other day it helped cure some poor fool who thought he could solve the problem of confidence men by "educating consumers" - God's honest truth - the poor bastard actually believed that!! Act now and receive, as my gift to you, a one-size fits all societal curative ideology! Don't pass this opportunity up!!
Re:It doesn't say if the scammees get their money. (Score:3, Funny)
Jimmy, com'ere'amoment.
I got something for you. This asshole see, he promised my grandmother something and didn't make good. I'd like you to pay him a visit and discuss it real nice like. Explain to him how heartbroken my grammy is about losing her savings. See what sort of refunds he offers. Oh, take the boys with you, make it a night out on the town. Paint it red.
Any wife involved? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not really... (Score:4, Funny)
Then he's innocent?
It would be the obvious defense. I wonder why his lawyer didn't think of that.
"Tell them my house is just a front and all my assets are in the Caiman Islands ! My scheme works, I'm not a scammer !"
"As a professional, I suggest you shut the fuck up. Also my fee just went up quite a bit."