A central Illinois state representative schemed to direct state grant money to her daughter, took kickbacks on bogus campaign expenses and lied to the FBI about it all, according to federal prosecutors.
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice, along with her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons. He faces an obstruction of justice charge for allegedly instructing a potential witness to “muddy the waters” for investigators tracing them.
Rep. Ammons’ indictment comes on the heels of another controversy roiling the Illinois House. State Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, resigned last week in the wake of a legislative inspector general’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
A House communications staffer assigned to Rep. Ammons referred questions to her district office,…
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.