fraud

After nearly a week of protests in Los Angeles against recent federal immigration enforcement sweeps in the city, President Trump doubled down on his administration’s efforts to detain and deport immigrants without documentation, claiming they are a key voting bloc in Democratic cities.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said Los Angeles and “other such cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use illegal aliens to expand their voter base, cheat in elections, and grow the welfare state, robbing good paying jobs and benefits from hardworking American citizens.”

But according to Los Angeles County election officials, that’s simply not true.

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“That claim is false and unsupported, and only serves to create unsubstantiated concern and confusion about the electoral process,” the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office said in a statement.

In reality, the county has safeguards in place to ensure only eligible voters cast ballots and that all votes are accurately counted, said Mike Sanchez, spokesperson for the county’s Registrar-Recorder’s office.

How do people become registered voters in California?

In the state of California there are five requirements a person must meet to register to vote, according to the California Secretary of State. To register an individual must be:

1. A U.S. citizen.
2. A resident of California.
3. At least 18 years or older on or before Election Day.
4. Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony.
5. Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

When a person meets the eligibility criteria, they can register to vote which includes attesting under penalty of perjury that they meet all eligibility requirements, including being a U.S. citizen and a resident of California, said Sanchez.

“This sworn statement is a legal declaration and serves as the foundation of the voter registration process,” Sanchez said.

Voting as a noncitizen is a felony that can lead to a year in jail or deportation, said Hasen.

Though there are some cities in the United States where noncitizens can participate in local elections, for example in communities in Vermont and Maryland, participation is limited to voting in school board or city council elections.

In California, San Francisco is the only city where noncitizens can vote and it is limited to the school board.

How does Los Angeles County verify who is voting in federal elections?

Once a voter registers, their personal information is verified through the State Voter Registration database, which is done by cross-checking state Department of Motor Vehicle records or the last four digits of the person’s Social Security number, Sanchez said.

When the verification process is complete, a voter does not have to show their identification when voting in person. If verification has not occurred, the voter must show identification the first time they vote. Acceptable forms of identification include a driver’s license, state-issued I.D or passport; the California Secretary of State has a complete online list of what identifying documents to take to the polling place.

Once polling places open for voters within the county, the voter must sign a roster in the presence of election workers, who attest to their identity and eligibility.

“Elections officials also conduct regular voter roll maintenance, checking against several data points including death records from the California Department of Public Health, Social Security Administration, Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,” the California Secretary of State told The Times in a statement.

For vote-by-mail ballots, the signature on the return envelope is compared to the one on file in the voter registration record, Sanchez said. If the signature does not match or is missing, the voter is contacted and given a chance to correct it.

“Only verified ballots are accepted and counted,” he said.

Where do the claims about undocumented immigrants voting originate?

The claim that immigrants lacking documentation vote in large numbers — and for Democrats — has been repeated for years.

It has seeds in the once-fringe racist conspiracy theory called the “great replacement.” According to a poll by the Associated Press and and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 1 in 3 Americans now believe “an effort is underway to replace U.S.-born Americans with immigrants for electoral gains.”

The theory has gained momentum under Trump.

In 2016, Trump won the Electoral College and the presidency, but not the popular vote. That went to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who received about 2.9 million more votes.

Trump then claimed, without evidence, that he would have won the popular vote if 3 to 5 million immigrants living in the country illegally hadn’t voted.

“About 3 million votes was the margin by which he lost the popular vote which is why I think he chose that 3 million number to try to explain away his popular vote loss,” Hasen said.

After losing his reelection bid in 2020 to Joe Biden, when voting by mail was a focus, Trump refocused on immigrants lacking authorization in the 2024 campaign and was ultimately voted back into the White House.

“In 2024, when I think Trump and the Republicans concluded that the attacks on absentee ballots were actually hurting them because people don’t want to show up in person to vote, the shift went back to immigration,” Hasen said.

Voter fraud claims echo whomever is trying to dictate the political narrative, according to Hasen.

Researchers have found, repeatedly through decades of investigation, that fraud conducted by voters at the polls is virtually nonexistent and does not happen “on a scale even close to that necessary to “rig” an election, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Many instances of reported fraud were due to clerical errors or human errors.

“I think one of the things we’ve seen is people on the losing end of elections tend to be more likely to believe that there’s cheating,” Hasen said. “But Donald Trump has really supercharged things to the point where we’re way beyond what we normally see in terms of partisan divisions.”

But Trump is not alone in fueling that theory recently. Last year as he campaigned for Trump, billionaire Elon Musk repeated those claims on his social media platform, X.

“If the Democratic party gains enough voters to win an election by importing them and giving them free stuff, then they will do so,” he posted in September.

So is the number of undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles growing?

Yes, but likely not at the rate it once was, said Manuel Paster, professor of sociology and American studies at USC.

California’s immigrant population — including those without authorization — increased by 5% (about 500,000) from 2010 to 2023, compared to 14% (1.27 million) from 2000 to 2010, and by 37% (2.4 million) rise in the 1990s, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Between 2019 and 2022, the population of undocumented immigrants in most states across the nation steadily climbed. California’s however, decreased, according to the Pew Research Center.

These days, most new immigrants are going to Florida, Texas and the South rather than high-cost California, Pastor said.

“Los Angeles, more than 70% of our undocumented immigrants have been in the country for longer than a decade,” he said. “They’re more likely to be long established employees, parents, parts of faith institutions.”

With the holiday season fast approaching, most people will be busy seeking out the perfect destination. However, for chief holiday officers (CHOs), trip planning goes well beyond the simple question of “where to go?”. While everyone else is dreaming about sipping cocktails by the pool or taking in the unforgettable vistas from a popular hiking path, CHOs are the ones building the “who’s paid what?” spreadsheets, reading every single review in painstaking detail, and downloading the multitude of apps that will introduce everyone to a wealth of local experiences. Yes, they are the people who thrive on good planning. CHOs love a bit of legwork, get great satisfaction in thinking of the unthinkable, and exude the role of organiser – especially when it comes to putting together a trip to remember.

WASHINGTON — The clamorous end to President Trump’s alliance with Elon Musk is increasing pressure on the White House over its signature legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — a bill under intense scrutiny in the Senate that Musk wants killed over its price tag, but that Trump views as critical to the success of his presidency.

The bill faces strong headwinds among senators across the Republican spectrum, including fiscal conservatives who say it authorizes unsustainable spending, as well as moderates who fear the consequences of offsetting costly tax breaks in the bill with steep cuts to Medicaid.

Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin among those seeking to decrease spending in the bill, told NPR this week that it has “no chance of passing” the Senate in its current form.

“It’s easy to be the parent that says, ‘We’re going to go to Disney World.’ It’s hard to be the parent that says, ‘yeah, but we can’t afford it,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill Friday. “To get to yes, I need a commitment to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending.”

Trump’s relationship with Musk, the world’s richest man and the largest Republican donor during the 2024 presidential campaign, shattered on Thursday in an exchange of public insults between the two men. After leaving his role in the administration last week, where he was assigned to cut federal spending and government waste, Musk sounded off on the bill as an “abomination” that would cause the national debt to soar.

Trump responded by suggesting Musk opposed the legislation because it includes cuts to energy tax credits that have benefited Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company. The billionaire entrepreneur may also be angry, Trump mused, because his recommendation to head NASA was rejected — an important position for SpaceX, another Musk business.

Those comments set off an online tirade from Musk that claimed credit for Trump’s election victory and accused the president of links with Jeffrey Epstein, a notorious child sex offender.

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk wrote on X, his social media platform. “Such ingratitude.”

Musk contributed over $280 million to Trump and other Republicans during the 2024 presidential campaign. But his tenure in the White House has come at a steep cost. Tesla’s profits plummeted 71% over the first three months of the year, with reputation rankings showing a similarly precipitous drop amongst consumers. In Thursday alone, as his feud with Trump escalated, Tesla’s stock price dropped 14%.

“I’m not even thinking about Elon,” Trump told CNN’s Dana Bash in a phone interview on Friday. “He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.”

Musk was also quieter on Friday, focusing his social media activity on his companies, a sign that both men see mutual destruction in the fallout from their feud.

But the source of their feud — the bill — remains on thin ice.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could add $2.4 trillion to annual deficits over the next decade and result in 10.9 million people losing their health insurance, prompting GOP senators like Shelley Moore Capito, of West Virginia, where 28% of the state population is enrolled in Medicaid, to express concern.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, told reporters that the caucus is open to exploring cuts to another popular health program — Medicare, for Americans 65 and older — if it results in lowering the overall costs of the bill.

“The focus, as you know, has been on addressing waste, fraud, abuse within Medicaid and, but right now, we’re open to suggestions that people have them about other areas where there is, you know, clearly, waste, fraud and abuse that can be rooted out in any government program,” Thune said in a news conference.

Asked whether Medicare cuts are on the table, Thune replied, “I think anything we can do that’s waste, fraud and abuse are open to discussions.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, defended the bill against Musk’s attacks on Friday and said his calls to kill the bill were a “surprise.”

“I don’t argue with Elon on how to build rockets,” Johnson said. “I wish he wouldn’t argue with me about how to craft legislation.”

Johnson has said his goal is to have the legislation passed into law by Independence Day, before lawmakers start traveling home for a series of long summer recesses.

But there are other reasons for the deadline. The Treasury Department anticipates the country could risk default unless Congress raises the debt ceiling by August. And tax cuts passed in 2017, under the first Trump administration, are set to expire at the end of this year, leading Republicans to warn of a 68% tax increase if the bill fails.

You might consider yourself a seasoned traveller, somebody who obsessively plans holidays down to fanatically pinned maps and destination-appropriate music playlists. But even the most globetrotting gadabout can fall prey to poor money management.

Simple mistakes such as failing to gen up on exchange rates or pressing the wrong currency button on a foreign ATM can result in you leaking cash that could be spent splurging on a ritzier hotel room or trading in a beer for a jazzed-up martini.

From using the best bank card to maximising reward benefits, here’s how having a savvy approach to your money while overseas is the secret to stress-free travel.

1 Pack the right plastic

It’s all too easy when sitting on the beach, piña colada in hand, to forget that every time you tap your debit card on that contactless terminal, you could be charged between 2.75% and 2.99% of the transaction value of whatever you’re buying, depending on the card provider. Every coffee, every snack, every bus trip you pay for, it’ll all mount up until you’re left with a monster bill by the end of the holiday.

The best option? Switching to a fee-free credit card such as the Barclaycard Rewards card*, which is 100% fee-free for purchases and ATM withdrawals.

*Representative example. 28.9% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 28.9% p.a. (variable); based on a £1,200 credit limit. The approval of your application depends on financial circumstances and borrowing history, so do the terms you may be offered. The interest rates may differ from those shown. T&Cs apply.

2 Protect yourself against fraud

Holidays relax people. That’s their USP. They offer a guard-lowering calm, making us brave enough to Macarena away until the small hours – but this also means we may share bank details over unsecured networks in hotel lobbies, or fail to notice somebody hovering over our shoulder, quietly taking down our card details.

For your peace of mind, Barclays has fraud protection systems that are in place 24/7 to protect your account. If they spot something suspicious, you’ll be alerted straight away.

And if you misplace your card, you can freeze it in the app so that nobody can use it until you find it. Even better, if you report your card lost or stolen while you’re abroad, Barclays will arrange for emergency cash to reach you within three days. They’ll also send a replacement card to your home address.

3 Set a daily budget

Ah, the wretched B-word. But allocating yourself a predetermined allowance each day will leave you with more money as your trip reaches its denouement, ensuring you end your vacay on a high note. A rough yardstick is to estimate how much you’ll be spending on costs such as food, accommodation, transport and activities, and adding an extra 30% on for extras/emergencies. Then divide it by the number of travel days to arrive at a daily limit.

Other belt-tightening measures include skipping lunch by filling your boots with the hotel breakfast buffet, seeking out street food, or scouring the reviews/social media to find a restaurant on the backstreets away from the tourist zones, which could slash your bill and deliver a much more authentic experience.

To help you budget like a pro, set up a savings goal¹ in the Barclays app¹, or turn on the spending alert so you can stay on top of your balance at all times.

4 Avoid pesky foreign transaction fees

Foreign holidays are rarely ever cashless experiences: having some local coins and notes is essential. However, charges at international ATMs can be eye-wateringly expensive: as high as £14.95 when taking out £250 on your credit card, according to a comparison site (tip: always select “without conversion”).

Sidestep that with a fee-free card such as the Barclaycard Rewards credit card*, where ATM withdrawals can be made without any extra fees.

Also, never leave it until the last minute to get foreign currency from an airport bureau de change. The “walk up” exchange rates at these desks tend to err on the pricey side: ordering the money you need online through your bank before travelling will be at much more wallet-friendly rates. Plus – if they’re like Barclays – the cash could be delivered to your home free of charge² too.

_*Representative example: 28.9% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 28.9% p.a. (variable); based on a £1,200 credit limit. The approval of your application depends on your financial circumstances and borrowing history, so do the terms you may be offered. The interest rates may differ from those shown. T&Cs apply.

5 Make clever currency choices

It’s a dilemma we’ve all faced on holiday. After finishing dinner, the waiter brandishes a card reader, asking: “Do you want to pay in local currency or pounds sterling?”

Generally, the best advice is to pay or withdraw in the local currency, as it’ll mean your UK bank will calculate the conversion rate. Opt to pay in pounds and the local bank will do the conversion – usually at less favourable rates.

6 Invest in travel insurance

The safety net of travel insurance might make common sense (we’ve all read horror stories about British holidaymakers who failed to get it, then forked out thousands of pounds for a medically-assisted flight home, right?), but ploughing through endless comparison sites to find the right quote isn’t fun.

In many cases, it’s best to take heed from experts. The Barclays Travel Plus Pack³ (£22.50 a month) was named a Which? Best Buy travel insurance in June 2024. The policy was lauded for its £10,000 missed departure cover and being one of the few policies to cover pandemics.

As with all travel insurance, always check the details. Some policies may not include children or pre-existing medical conditions; others won’t include extreme sports such as bungee jumping, parkour or tightrope-walking.

7 Use the tech at your disposal

Travelling to the EU or US this summer? Then consider Barclays travel wallet⁴ (available via the Barclays app⁵), which enables you to buy Euros and US dollars before travelling – which you can then spend with your regular debit card while away. Because you’ve purchased the currencies already, you’ll enjoy fee-free transactions during your trip too⁶.

Then, once you’ve arrived back home, you won’t be saddled with lots of coins destined to end up in a drawer, because Barclays will buy back any foreign currency left over at 0% commission.

To find out more about keeping on top of your travel finances with Barclays, visit barclays.co.uk/travel/

_{1 You must have a Barclays or Barclaycard account, have a mobile number and be aged 16 or over to use the Barclays app. Terms and conditions apply.}

_{2 £2,500 is the maximum amount that can be ordered and delivered to an individual residential address in a 90-day period. Please note, you cannot exceed £5,000 per person within a 90-day period.}

_{3 Terms, conditions, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply. You must have a Barclays current account, be 18 or over and hold this product for at least six months from the date of purchase – then you can cancel at any time.}

_{4 T&Cs apply. You need to be 16 years or over to access this product or service using the app.}

_{5 You must be 11 or over to use the app. T&Cs apply.}

_{6 No transaction fees apply when paying with Euros and US dollars from your travel wallet. There is a 2.75% margin applied when purchasing your currency. If you pay in British pounds on your debit card while abroad, a transaction fee will still apply.}

A study of 2,000 UK holidaymakers found health emergencies are the top worry when in a different country, with theft also being a big concern.

Holidaymakers are more concerned about misplacing luggage and missing flights than they are about being pickpocketed or losing their passport. A survey of 2,000 travellers revealed that health emergencies top the list of worries when abroad, with theft also a significant concern. Meanwhile, a third are apprehensive about getting lost, and a quarter worry about their accommodation not being safe.

However, only 8% are anxious about falling victim to online threats while overseas – a risk that is particularly prevalent on unsecured networks in foreign countries. With the most frequent activities carried out by those who connect to Wi-Fi when abroad include online banking, shopping with a credit card, streaming TV or music, and checking work emails.

Melissa Voeller, a cyber safety advocate for Norton, which conducted the study, stated: “When we travel, we often focus on physical safety, like guarding our belongings or catching our flight, but digital threats don’t take a holiday.

“From public Wi-Fi risks to phishing scams disguised as hotel confirmations, cybercriminals target travellers when their guard is down. That’s why it’s just as important to secure your digital life as it is to secure important documents like your passport.”

The research discovered that 86% of travellers believe they are cautious when arranging travel. However, 29% have been scammed or targeted, either during the trip or while planning it, with 23% confessing they’re not particularly knowledge about online safety.

It was revealed that 14% are uncertain about the risks associated with connecting to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, which commonly include malware distribution; where unsecured networks can be used to distribute malicious software to your device.

To gain access to this Wi-Fi whilst travelling, 45% have provided their email address, 30% have entered their first and last name – and 28% even revealed their hotel room number. After connecting many encountered suspicious pop-ups, data breach alerts and even online scams.

Melissa commented: “Public Wi-Fi might be convenient for checking maps or posting on social media, but it can be a hotspot for cybercriminals, too. Logging into banking apps or entering personal information on an unsecured connection abroad can be just as risky as losing your wallet.”

She cautioned: “A few clicks in the wrong place could give hackers access to everything from your email to your banking details, making you more vulnerable to threats.” It was revealed that only 26% say they have used a VPN while travelling, yet Melissa says it’s a key way to safeguard privacy whilst away.

Travel expert Simon Calder said: “Staying connected while travelling is second nature these days, whether it’s checking flight details, finding directions or booking last-minute tickets. But public Wi-Fi, especially in places like airports or hotels, isn’t always as safe as it seems.

“That’s why using a VPN is a smart move. It gives you added peace of mind that your online activity stays private and for your eyes only, no matter where your travels take you.”

TOP 10 THINGS BRITS WORRY ABOUT ON HOLIDAY

1. Health emergencies
2. Losing luggage
3. Missing flights
4. Theft of personal belongings
5. Pickpockets
6. Losing important documents
7. Overcrowded tourist spots
8. Unsafe drinking water
9. Getting lost
10. Language barriers / cultural misunderstandings

May 28 (UPI) — Financial giant Fannie Mae said Wednesday it will launch its AI-powered unit to detect and prevent mortgage fraud in a partnership with AI software company Palantir.

“By integrating this leading AI technology, we will look across millions of datasets to detect patterns that were previously undetectable,” said Fannie Mae’s president and chief executive officer Priscilla Almodovar.

Fannie Mae, which holds more than $4 trillion in U.S. housing market assets, is the nation’s single largest holder of outstanding residential mortgage debt.

The launch of its new artificial intelligence-powered crime detection unit with Palantir seeks to expand Fannie’s ability to sniff out fraud with “leading” scientific and investigative AI-enabled tech.

The Washington-based Fannie Mae says its new capability will prevent and detect fraudulent activity with a “speed and precision” that, according to the company, has “never before” been seen designed to save millions of dollars in future financial losses to fraud in the U.S. housing market.

“This new partnership will combat mortgage fraud, helping to safeguard the U.S. mortgage market for lenders, homebuyers and taxpayers,” Fannie’s Almodovar continued.

Fannie Mae, which likewise owns or guarantees roughly one in four single-family mortgages and about 20% of America’s multifamily mortgages, says Palantir’s technology will provide “expansive” monitoring for anomalous transactions, activities and other digital behaviors.

According to Fannie officials, it will not only detect suspicious activity but ultimately will “trigger investigative action.”

“No one is above the law,” Fannie Mae Chairman William Pulte said in a statement.

Palantir was one of eight major tech firms to sign on to then-President Joe Biden‘s voluntary commitment in 2023 aimed to ensure AI tech is utilized responsibly.

On Wednesday, its top official said the Fannie Mae partnership will set off “a revolution in how we combat mortgage fraud” in the United States.

“We are bringing the fight directly to anyone who attempts to defraud our mortgage system and exploit hardworking Americans,” says Alex Karp, co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies.

“Chrisley Knows Best” reality TV stars Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley may soon leave life in federal prison behind, thanks to President Trump.

The White House announced Tuesday that the president was set to pardon the imprisoned reality TV personalities nearly three years after they were convicted in 2022 of tax evasion and bank fraud. The Georgia couple gained popularity for their USA Network series, which showcased their luxurious lifestyle and zany family dynamic.

The White House posted a video of Trump on the phone with Todd and Julie’s 27-year-old daughter, Savannah Chrisley, who has publicly decried her parents’ conviction and the toll it has taken on their family. He called the younger Chrisley, who also starred in “Chrisley Knows Best,” “to inform her that he will be granting full pardons to her parents.”

“Trump Knows Best,” the tweet said.

A legal representative for the Chrisleys did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment on Tuesday.

A federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted the Chrisley parents on several charges including tax evasion, conspiracy and wire fraud. Prosecutors alleged the charges stemmed from a scheme, which lasted from 2007 to 2012, that involved the stars submitting fake financial statements to financial institutions to get loans worth millions of dollars. A second indictment was filed in February, and Todd, 56, and Julie Chrisley, 52, were convicted on all charges in June 2022.

In November of that year, the reality TV stars were sentenced to prison: Todd was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and Julie received seven years. They also received 16 months probation each. In September 2024, Julie Chrisley was resentenced, but a federal judge upheld her seven-year sentence.

Since her parents’ convictions, Savannah has spoken out, strongly challenging the verdict. Over the years, she has alleged corruption in the court proceedings, described the alleged “nightmare” conditions of her parents’ prison facilities and touted plans to appeal their convictions — airing her grievances and hopes on her “Unlocked” podcast, “The Masked Singer” and even at the Republican National Convention in July, where she threw her support behind Trump. During the political event, she alleged her family “was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile … and our conservative beliefs.”

“Donald J. Trump has only one conviction that matters, and that is his conviction to make America great again,” she added elsewhere in her RNC address.

On Tuesday, Savannah brought news of Trump’s intentions to pardon her parents to Instagram. Wearing a white and gold MAGA hat, Savannah shared her side of her call with President Trump.

“I have shed so many tears. The president called me personally as I was walking into Sam’s Club and notified me that he was signing … pardon paper[s] for both of my parents,” she said. “So both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow. I still don’t believe it’s real.

“The fact that the president called me — I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way,” she said, adding later in her video she “vows” to stand alongside Trump and continue to expose “corruption.”

May 26 (UPI) — A German court convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud on Monday and a decade after “Dieselgate” exposed deceptive devices installed in many Volkswagen models to pass emissions tests.

Jens Hadler was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and formerly was Volkswagen’s diesel engine development chief, the New York Times reported.

Hanno Jelden, a former VW engine electronics manager, received a sentence of two years and seven months in prison.

Defendants Heinz-Jakob Neusser, a former systems development manager, and a former emissions expert identified as “Thorsten D.,” received suspended sentences of 15 months and 22 months in prison, respectively.

A judicial panel in Braunschweig, Germany, entered its verdicts in the court that is located close to Volkswagen’s headquarters in nearby Wolfsburg.

Panel chairman Judge Christian Schutz called the defendants a “gang” and said they were guilty of “particularly serious” fraud, the New York Times reported.

He said Hadler knew of the emissions-testing defeat devices that manipulated software to ensure the vehicles would pass emissions tests since at least September 2007.

Only a relatively small number of people within Volkswagen knew of the device’s existence, according to emails used as evidence in the case.

The trial lasted almost four years in the “dieselgate” emissions scandal that was exposed when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 reported many diesel-powered VW models contained deceptive emissions-monitoring devices, Politico reported.

The “defeat devices” detected when system emissions testing was underway and automatically adjusted engine performance to ensure the respective vehicles met environmental standards.

Berlin’s Federal Court of Justice in 2020 ordered Volkswagen to pay up to $31,000 to each of about 60,000 German owners of diesel-powered VWs.

The automaker paid billions of dollars in settlements for installing defeat devices on about 10 million vehicles sold in the U.S., Germany and other markets around the globe.

Legal cases remain open against 31 other defendants, but former VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn is not among them due to health concerns, MarketWatch reported.

Winterkorn has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is carrying out a criminal investigation into UnitedHealth Group for possible Medicare fraud.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first broke the story on Wednesday.

UnitedHealth said it had not been notified by the DOJ about the “supposed criminal investigation reported”, and the company stood by “the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program”.

The DOJ’s healthcare-fraud unit is overseeing the criminal investigation, which focuses on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices, WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

While the exact nature of the potential criminal allegations against UnitedHealth is unclear, it has been an active probe since at least last summer, the newspaper said.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment to the WSJ about the fresh criminal probe. The department did not immediately respond to requests for comments from the Reuters news agency.

Last week, UnitedHealth said in a regular filing that it had been “involved or is currently involved in various governmental investigations, audits and reviews”, without disclosing further details.

The new investigation follows broader scrutiny into the Medicare Advantage programme, in which Medicare-approved plans from a private company supplement regular Medicare for Americans age 65 and older by covering more services that the government-only plans do not, such as dental and vision services.

In February, the WSJ reported a civil fraud investigation into UnitedHealth’s Medicare practices. The company had then said that it was unaware of any new probe.

In the same month, US Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa launched an inquiry into UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing practices, requesting detailed records of the company’s compliance programme and other related documents.

The DOJ earlier this month filed a lawsuit accusing three of the largest US health insurers of paying hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks to brokers in exchange for steering patients into the insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans.

Nearly half of the 65 million people covered by Medicare, the US programme for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurers.

The insurers are paid a set rate for each patient, but can be paid more if patients have multiple health conditions. Standard Medicare coverage is managed by the government.

Brewing turmoil

The health insurer has been under pressure for months. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO, Andrew Witty, stepped down unexpectedly, and the company simultaneously suspended its 2025 financial forecast due to rising medical costs, triggering an 18 percent drop in shares to a four-year low.

Stephen Hemsley, who led the company for more than a decade until 2017, is taking back the reins following setbacks including the December murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of its insurance unit, which catapulted UnitedHealth into the public consciousness.

On Thursday, after the news of the probe broke, UnitedHealth Group shares plunged 18 percent to hit a five-year low.

“The stock is already in the doghouse with investors, and additional uncertainty will only pile on,” James Harlow, senior vice president at Novare Capital Management, which owns shares in UnitedHealth, told the news agency Reuters.

If losses hold, UnitedHealth will be the worst-performing stock on the S&P 500 index in two of the last three days.

The past month’s selloff has wiped out nearly $300bn from UnitedHealth’s market capitalization, or more than half of its value since its shares hit a record high in November.