Dumb and dumber: even more proof that truth is stranger than fiction
Journal of Accountancy

Did you hear the one about the bank robber who wrote a holdup note on the back of his own utility bill? We've come to expect that the garden-variety crook may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but fraudsters are supposed to be smarter, aren't they? Sit back, have a laugh and decide for yourself.

DOCTORING CREDIT CARDS

Wanda H., who had a trusted position at the Stanford Medical Center near San Francisco, needed to decorate her new home. So she accessed financial data belonging to some of the more prominent doctors at the facility and used their credit card information to pay for the furnishings. She was home free, so to speak, until she invited the same doctors to a housewarming party. They quickly figured out what was going on and reported her to the police.

ATTENTION, WAL-MART SHOPPERS!

Alice P. went on a shopping spree at a Georgia Wal-Mart, filling several carts to the brim. When the cashier totaled up $1,672 in merchandise, Alice handed the worker a $1 million bill and asked for the remaining change in cash. Knowing the largest U.S. bill in circulation was $100, Wal-Mart called the police. "This is the first time in my law enforcement career that I've seen someone try to use a $1 million bill," said local police chief Almond Turner, who promptly arrested Mice.

EXTENDED STUPIDITY