U.S. jobless claims fall in sign of labor market strength
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-unemployment-idUSKCN1VC1EY
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Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 209,000 for the week ended Aug. 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
The decline was sharper than expected. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims would drop to 216,000 in the latest week.
U.S. stock index futures held onto gains following the data’s publication.
80 defendants in U.S. and Nigeria, including 11 in L.A. County, charged in cyberfraud conspiracy to steal millions
https://abc7.com/feds-80-charged-including-11-in-socal-in-massive-cyberfraud-conspiracy/5485625/
FTA:
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — After search warrants were executed at multiple locations across L.A. County on Thursday morning, federal prosecutors announced a 252-count indictment that accuses 80 people in the U.S. and Nigeria of participating in a “massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes.”
According to the indictment, the accused used business email compromise frauds, romance scams and schemes targeting the elderly to defraud victims out of millions of dollars.
The co-conspirators allegedly contacted Valentine Iro, 31, of Carson, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, of Gardena, both Nigerian citizens, for bank and money-service accounts that could receive funds fraudulently obtained from victims.
The criminal complaint says Iro and Igbokwe, who were among the suspects arrested Thursday, conducted schemes that resulted in the transfer of at least $6 million in fraudulently obtained funds.