The weighty lesson from Arizona's ‘fake electors' stumble
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US President Donald Trump arrives in Scotland
US President Donald Trump has landed in Scotland ahead of a four-day visit. Air Force One – the presidential plane – touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. During his time in the country, the president will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney, as well as European Commission president Ursula von der Trump and Sir Keir are expected to discuss potential changes to the UK-US trade deal which came into force last month. Mr Swinney has pledged to 'essentially speak out for Scotland'. Speaking as he boarded Air Force One, the president said he would be having dinner with the Prime Minister at Turnberry, before 'going to go to the oil capital of Europe, which is Aberdeen'. He said: 'We're going to have a good time. I think the Prime Minister and I get along very well.' He added: 'We're going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even approve it.' He also told journalists he was 'looking forward' to meeting with the 'Scottish leader' Mr Swinney, describing him as a 'good man'. During his time in Scotland, the president is also likely to spark a number of protests, with concerns being raised about how such demonstrations are policed. Police Scotland has called in support from other forces in the UK to help bolster officer numbers, though senior officers and the organisation which represents the rank-and-file, have accepted Mr Trump's visit will have an impact.
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Trump won't rule out pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell amid Epstein investigation
President Donald Trump Friday refused to rule out pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell as the sex-trafficking accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein met for a second day with a top Justice Department official behind closed doors. As he left the White House for a trip to Scotland, Trump dodged a reporter's question about whether he was considering cutting short Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence. 'I'm allowed to do it, but I really haven't thought about it,' Trump said, adding that he 'certainly can't talk about pardons now.' Trump's remarks came as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department spent a second day meeting behind closed doors with Maxwell and her lawyer and the White House seeks to tamp down still-swirling outrage over the Epstein case. Todd Blanche, who was Trump's personal lawyer before joining the administration, did not give any update on any information Maxwell may have shared. Trump also sought to counter recent bombshell scoops revealing a chummy letter he wrote to Epstein for his birthday and other events when the pair were buddies in Palm Beach high society circles. 'Somebody could have written a letter and used my name,' Trump said. 'That's happened a lot.' It's not clear why Blanche met with Maxwell or what the administration hopes to get her to reveal. It's highly unusual for such a high-ranking prosecutor to meet with a convicted criminal unless they are seeking information about other potential cases. Maxwell, who also was friendly with Trump years ago, is imprisoned at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019. Trump himself and his MAGA base spent years calling for the release of any and all information about Epstein and his links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires. But earlier this month, the Justice Department abruptly shifted course and said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi also said an Epstein client list does not exist. That flip-flop came a few weeks after Bondi reportedly told Trump in May that his name was among high-profile people mentioned in government files of Epstein, though the mention does not imply wrongdoing, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump also started denouncing the Epstein probe as a Democratic 'con job' and a 'hoax' and called on Americans to move on from the scandal. In a rare break with their leader, MAGA loyalists and fellow Republicans have refused to drop their demands for more transparency. Republican-led House committees have voted to subpoena files on the case and rebellious GOP lawmakers forced House Speaker Mike Johnson to adjourn the body early for its August break to avoid embarrassing votes on the matter. Trump and congressional allies are hoping the outcry dies down by Labor Day, but some analysts say that strategy is unlikely to succeed. __________
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This Houston man got an immediate above-asking offer for his 1948 Packard — but it ended up costing him thousands
Thinking about buying or selling a used car? You may want to proceed with caution so you don't fall victim to a fake overpayment scam that uses fraudulent checks. 'I could see how so many people could easily fall for this,' Matt Neff, who was recently trying to sell his 1948 Packard online, told KHOU 11 Houston. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) You don't have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here's how Neff learned firsthand how a scam like this can happen. Here's what you need to know so it doesn't happen to you. How the fake 'overpayment' scam works This type of scam typically takes place via online marketplaces (rather than in person) where the buyer overpays for the product you're selling. 'The buyer may claim to have seen the listing on Craigslist or on Facebook Marketplace, and declare that they want to buy it for more than you are asking just to ensure no one else buys the listing before they do,' according to Chargebacks911. Or, they might say they overpaid to cover shipping and handling or other fees. Whatever the excuse, they follow up by asking you to refund the overpayment to a third party. In the meantime, they've sent you a check and you've sold them your car. When, several days later, the bank processes the check, you're informed that the check was fraudulent — but the fraudster is already in the wind and you're on the hook for the money. This is what happened to Neff, when a potential buyer sent him a check for more than his asking price and then asked him to refund the overage to a shipping company. 'And sure enough, 10 days later it came back as a counterfeit check,' he told KHOU 11. It can also happen to buyers. Dayja Wallace nearly lost $1,200 when she tried buying a used car online. In her case, the seller used a sense of urgency to push the sale forward, saying that their son had passed away and they wanted to 'hurry up and sell the car,' she told KHOU 11. The seller suggested that Wallace pay a shipping company up front to speed up the transaction and the seller would then send a check to Wallace. A fake check can look remarkably like a real one — and in some cases it may actually be real, but it belongs to someone whose identity has been stolen. 'It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake,' according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 'Even if you see the funds in your account, that doesn't mean it's a good check. Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and you're stuck paying the money back to the bank.' Even if you were unaware that you were being scammed, you could still be responsible for replacing the funds. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Red flags every used car seller or buyer should know Summer is often the peak car buying season, according to Premier Auto Group. 'Families often seek to purchase vehicles before the school year starts. While you can find deals, prices may be higher due to demand.' Even if prices are higher, beware of customers who offer to overpay or 'accidentally' send you more money than the asking price. 'This is a huge red flag, and you should respond by rejecting any transaction with this customer. This is doubly true of any customer who offers to pay your transaction fees,' warns Chargebacks911. Indeed, you may want to avoid accepting checks altogether. Instead, use a credit card, which can help protect you from fraudulent transactions (most major credit card companies have zero-liability protection). And don't forward funds to a third party for any reason. 'Customers that ask you to transfer any amount of money for any reason should be flagged as potential fraudsters and their transactions immediately canceled,' advises Chargebacks911. Other red flags include a sense of urgency and/or not wanting an in-person viewing (which is unusual for a major purchase like a car). You should also be wary if you're feeling pressured to use an escrow service you're not familiar with — fraudsters can set up a fake escrow company or even pose as a legitimate one. 'Be wary the moment a seller begins to stipulate the escrow site that must be used to complete a transaction. That is your time to run a thorough scrutiny on the website before settling for it,' says You should also avoid any services that require payment through untraceable methods. If you think you may have been targeted by an overpayment scam, report it to the FTC and your state consumer protection office. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here's how Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Solve the daily Crossword
