The Securities and Exchange Commission today issued proceedings against two individuals who provided the biggest influx of investor funds into one of the largest Ponzi schemes so far seen in South Florida. The scam related to the sale of discounted legal settlements i.e. buying damages awards for less than face value. But it was a fraud and the investors were misled into believing that their money was safe.

Green Capital Consulting may or may not be a scam but there's enough of a whiff of suspicion created by its methods of promotion.

A lawyer, formerly with Baker & McKenzie in New York has pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit securities fraud while with the firm.

"Winnie Fong" who writes via an e-mail marketing service called wavemailserver.com (which sends unsolicited commercial email on behalf of multiple clients) uses the address winniefong@jhtraining.com.my. And in doing so, really shoots herself in the foot.

One should not mock the afflicted. Well, not often, anyway. "Mrs Kate Dave" deserves utter ridicule for the worst advance fee fraud solicitation to come our way in a long time.

The UK's Data Protection enforcer, The Information Commissioner's Office, has issued a civil penalty (which it calls a "fine") against a local government, the London Borough of Barnet in respect of a data loss. But it's not the usual "leaving a laptop on a train" kind of loss. Just how much security does the ICO expect companies to put in place?

Spirit Airlines tags its website with "cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel." It doesn't add, as it perhaps should, cheap tricks. For now it costs more to fly your hand luggage than it costs to fly you. And either they sting you at the gate or rely on breakage to increase their "take."

About a month ago, a New York Times columnist called Nicholas D Kristof penned an Op-Ed that said that Backpage.com, a website owned by New York's Village Voice Media. The article was one of several that accused Backpage.com of profiting from child prostitution and trafficking. Even though there is little evidence of that, and much of the supposed evidence turns out to be fiction, Village Voice Media is under pressure.

New international guidelines will bring all financial and trading companies with any international dimension within the scope of expanded laws to combat money laundering and terrorist financing - and other activities, a Seminar to be held in Hong Kong will hear.