StanChart Whistle-Blower Says U.S. Missed Billions in Trade

Standard Chartered Plc’s transactions with Iran were worth tens of billions of dollars more than previously known, a whistle-blower said in a lawsuit claiming the British bank actively pursued Iranian business in violation of U.S. sanctions.

The whistle-blower, a bank executive who isn’t named in court papers, was the bank’s global head of transaction banking and foreign exchange sales. He and another plaintiff -- described only as an American currency trader -- say StanChart handled more than $56 billion in transactions from 2009 to 2014, compared with $240 million cited by the Justice Department between 2007 and 2011 in an April settlement with the bank. read more »

Equifax to pay $700m over breach that exposed data of 150m people

Credit agency exposed social security numbers and other data

Settlement to provide up to $425m in relief to consumers 

Equifax will pay up to $700m to settle with the US and states over a 2017 data breach that exposed social security numbers and other private information of nearly 150m people. read more »

The Great Hack: the film that goes behind the scenes of the Facebook data scandal

This week, a Netflix documentary on Cambridge Analytica sheds light on one of the most complex scandals of our time.

This week sees the release of The Great Hack, a Netflix documentary that is the first feature-length attempt to gather all the strands of the affair into some sort of narrative – though it is one contested even by those appearing in the film. read more »

Former Microsoft Software Engineer Charged with Mail Fraud for Scheme to Steal Digital Value Such as Gift Cards

While Testing Online Sales Platform, Illegally used Testing Account to Embezzle more than $10 Million in Digital Currency

A former Microsoft software engineer was arrested today and charged in a criminal complaint charging him with mail fraud for a scheme to steal $10 million in digital currency from Microsoft, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  Volodymyr Kvashuk, 25, a Ukrainian citizen residing in Renton, Washington, worked first as a contractor at Microsoft and then as an employee from August 2016 until he was fired in June 2018.  Kvashuk was involved in the testing of Microsoft’s online retail sales platform, and used that testing access to steal “currency stored value” such as gift cards.  The complaint alleges Kvashuk resold the value on the internet, using the proceeds to purchase a $160,000 Tesla vehicle and a $1.6 million dollar lakefront home. read more »

Ex-pharma chief charged with flooding Appalachian towns with opioids

Anthony Rattini accused of ignoring evidence of opioids’ harm

Charges mark shift in effort to hold drug firms to account

Federal prosecutors have charged a former president of a major pharmaceutical distributor with flooding parts of Appalachia with millions of opioid pills while ignoring evidence they were driving addiction and death

The arrest of Anthony Rattini, the ex-head of Miami-Luken, on criminal charges marks a significant shift in legal action to hold the drug industry to account for the US opioid epidemic as hundreds of civil actions against manufacturers and distributors head to court. read more »

The opioid industry fought hard to keep this database hidden. Here’s what it shows

Over the past two decades, hundreds of thousands of Americans have died during a national opioid addiction crisis. As the drug manufacturers face a possible legal reckoning from multiple lawsuits, a newly uncovered database sheds more light on the scope of the disaster. read more »