Beware: Fake Violin Playing Scammers Return to Cape Coral Parking Lots.
Move over, world-class violinists! The streets of Cape Coral are about to be filled with a new crop of musical prodigies - or so they claim. That's right, folks, the fake violin playing scammers are back and better than ever!
These savvy performers are standing in parking lots across the city, posing as real musicians and pretending to play instruments while asking for money. And the best part? They're not even playing the right notes! Who needs to be classically trained when you can just fake it 'til you make it?
According to NBC2, one particularly noteworthy performer was caught on camera playing an electric violin in the Publix parking lot. She dazzled onlookers with a slow, emotional rendition of "Hallelujah" by Leonardo Cohen. But let's not be too quick to hand her a Grammy just yet. Rumor has it that she might just be a fraud.
Last year, videos of these fake musicians went viral on social media, with outraged citizens calling them out for their less-than-stellar performances. Some scammers even had signs asking for money to feed their families and pay rent. As heart-wrenching as that may be, it's important to remember that playing music and peddling for money without a permit is illegal in Cape Coral.
But that's not stopping our intrepid fake violinists from taking to the streets once again. They're like the Energizer bunny - they just keep going and going (until they get caught, that is). So, before you whip out your wallet to support these talented imposters, remember to take a closer look. Are they really playing that violin, or are they just faking it? You be the judge!
Fraud Charges Now Loom For Mom Who Faked Being Kidnapped To Go To Disney World
Bonnie Sweeten, formerly of Pennsylvania and now a resident of New Jersey is in trouble again. You may remember her original story from 13 years ago. That's when she was "kidnapped" to Disney World.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer "In the 2009 kidnapping hoax case, Sweeten called 911 and claimed to have been carjacked along with her 9-year-old daughter. Sweeten, who is white, said that two Black men had rear-ended her SUV in Lower Bucks County (Pennsylvania) and abducted the girl and her. Sweeten told the dispatcher that she was calling from the trunk of the kidnappers’ Cadillac, triggering a massive police dragnet."
However, Bonnie and her daughter turned up at one of the Disney World resorts in Orlando. She had used a former co-workers ID to purchase plane tickets. She got 9 months in jail for that scheme.
Next up, in 2012 she was sentenced to 100 months in jail for a scheme to steal a million dollars while working as a paralegal in Pennsylvania.
In her latest fail, she somehow got a job at a New Jersey excavating company. Get this, someone hired her as a bookkeeper. She was in jail for fraud and theft from a company she worked for. What do you think happened? She allegedly issued dozens of company checks to herself; stole checks that had been mailed to the company and signed them over to herself, and used a company credit card for personal purchases.
Finally, this may be the end of her story. She faces 40 years in prison. It should certainly be the last time she'll be kidnapped to Disney World.
