13 January 2026
🎙️Episode 22: New Year, Same Scams Series - Episode 2:The Credit Repair Operation That Rewrote the Rules
Black Coffee, Crime, and Crochet a True Crime Podcast
About
HEY BC3 CREW!Â
Last week I uploaded the listener survey last week but hadn't considered BOTS. I guess that means I made it lol. But if you tried filling it out last week and saw that it wasn't accepting responses, that's because I had to figure out how to weed them out. Hopefully, it's figured out now so PLEASE fill it out for me and be entered into the gift card giveaway! You can fill it out HERE
Okay now back to business!
Banks and lenders rely on accurate information from credit bureaus to decide who gets approved and who gets denied. But what happens when the people feeding information into that system decide to lie for profit? In this episode of Black Coffee, Crime, and Crochet, Jasmine continues the New Year, Same Scams series by breaking down the operation run by Edwin Jacquet and Denise Hudson.Â
Working through two companies, Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group, they became official data furnishers with credit bureaus and used that access to add fake positive tradelines, erase real negative accounts, and artificially inflate thousands of credit scores. The scheme allowed customers to qualify for tens of millions of dollars in loans, mortgages, credit cards, and financing they never should have received.
When the debts went bad, lenders were left with more than nine million dollars in losses, and the conspirators ended up in federal prison. This episode explains how the scheme worked, how they gained access to the credit system, why the fraud went undetected for so long, and what it means for anyone tempted to pay for shortcuts to a better credit score.Â
In today’s episode, Jasmine takes listeners inside the credit system itself. Instead of disputing accounts from the outside, this case focuses on what happens when fraudsters sit in the same position as legitimate lenders and abuse that power to manipulate credit reports for money.
Iced Coffee of the Week
Clean Slate Caramel Cold Brew Ingredients:
This episode covers the multi year credit fraud scheme created by Edwin Jacquet and Denise Hudson through their companies, Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group. By becoming official data furnishers, they gained the ability to report account information directly to credit bureaus. Once inside the system, they created fake tradelines showing perfect payment history for customers who had never opened those accounts.
They also used dispute tools to remove or alter legitimate negative information. The result was a sudden jump in clients’ credit scores, allowing them to obtain millions in loans and credit they would not have qualified for otherwise. The scheme operated at scale, affecting thousands of credit files and leading to more than nine million dollars in confirmed financial losses when the fraudulent debts defaulted. Investigators later described the scheme as one of the largest credit repair fraud cases ever prosecuted.Â
What You Will Hear In This Episode
If you could wipe your credit clean overnight, knowing someone was lying to the bureaus to make it happen, would you still press the button?
Support & Connect with BCÂł:
Instagram: Follow Me
FB: Follow Me
TikTok: Follow Me
Patreon:Â JOIN HERE
Facebook Discussion Group:Â Black Coffee, Crime & Crochet
YouTube:Â WATCH HERE
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Ratings and reviews help the show reach new listeners and make it easier for people to find thoughtful, well researched content like this.
If you know someone who is working on their credit, thinking about credit repair, or needs to hear this episode before paying someone promising fast results, share it with them. That matters more than you think.Â
SOURCES
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Press release announcing the indictment of Edwin Jacquet, Peter Romeo, Edwin J. Mansour Jr., and Denise Hudson for operating a fraudulent credit repair scheme through Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group. July 25, 2011.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. “Leader Of Fraudulent Credit Repair Scheme Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court,” detailing Edwin Jacquet’s guilty plea. March 21, 2012.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. “Participant In Multi Million Dollar Fraudulent Credit Repair Scheme Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 51 Months In Prison,” detailing sentencing for Edwin J. Mansour Jr. and Denise Hudson. March 20, 2013.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Sentencing press release for Denise Hudson and restitution order in the Highway Furniture and New York Funding case. March 2013.
United States v. Jacquet et al., Southern District of New York. Criminal charging documents and plea agreements related to the fraudulent credit repair scheme conducted through Highway Furniture Inc. and New York Funding Group Inc.
United States v. Mansour Jr., Southern District of New York. Case background summarizing the fake tradeline scheme, furnisher manipulation, and negative item deletion.
Frank on Fraud. “Synthetic Identity’s New Shell Game – Fake Tradelines,” analysis of the Highway Furniture and New York Funding scheme and its impact on lenders. April 30, 2021.
Experian and TransUnion furnisher program documentation noting how data furnishers access and report consumer information, referenced in DOJ descriptions of the scheme.
Last week I uploaded the listener survey last week but hadn't considered BOTS. I guess that means I made it lol. But if you tried filling it out last week and saw that it wasn't accepting responses, that's because I had to figure out how to weed them out. Hopefully, it's figured out now so PLEASE fill it out for me and be entered into the gift card giveaway! You can fill it out HERE
Okay now back to business!
Banks and lenders rely on accurate information from credit bureaus to decide who gets approved and who gets denied. But what happens when the people feeding information into that system decide to lie for profit? In this episode of Black Coffee, Crime, and Crochet, Jasmine continues the New Year, Same Scams series by breaking down the operation run by Edwin Jacquet and Denise Hudson.Â
Working through two companies, Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group, they became official data furnishers with credit bureaus and used that access to add fake positive tradelines, erase real negative accounts, and artificially inflate thousands of credit scores. The scheme allowed customers to qualify for tens of millions of dollars in loans, mortgages, credit cards, and financing they never should have received.
When the debts went bad, lenders were left with more than nine million dollars in losses, and the conspirators ended up in federal prison. This episode explains how the scheme worked, how they gained access to the credit system, why the fraud went undetected for so long, and what it means for anyone tempted to pay for shortcuts to a better credit score.Â
In today’s episode, Jasmine takes listeners inside the credit system itself. Instead of disputing accounts from the outside, this case focuses on what happens when fraudsters sit in the same position as legitimate lenders and abuse that power to manipulate credit reports for money.
Iced Coffee of the Week
Clean Slate Caramel Cold Brew Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons caramel sauceIce6 ounces strong cold brew or chilled coffee4 ounces milk or non dairy milk1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla syrup
- Add the caramel sauce to the bottom of your cup.Add a handful of ice.Pour in the cold brew.Add the milk.Stir until the caramel dissolves into the drink.Taste and adjust sweetness with vanilla syrup if needed.
This episode covers the multi year credit fraud scheme created by Edwin Jacquet and Denise Hudson through their companies, Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group. By becoming official data furnishers, they gained the ability to report account information directly to credit bureaus. Once inside the system, they created fake tradelines showing perfect payment history for customers who had never opened those accounts.
They also used dispute tools to remove or alter legitimate negative information. The result was a sudden jump in clients’ credit scores, allowing them to obtain millions in loans and credit they would not have qualified for otherwise. The scheme operated at scale, affecting thousands of credit files and leading to more than nine million dollars in confirmed financial losses when the fraudulent debts defaulted. Investigators later described the scheme as one of the largest credit repair fraud cases ever prosecuted.Â
What You Will Hear In This Episode
- How the conspirators became official data furnishersHow fake tradelines were built and inserted into consumer credit filesHow real negative debts were deleted or overwrittenHow customers used the inflated scores to obtain mortgages, auto loans, and credit cardsHow the scheme grew to tens of millions in fraudulent approvalsThe consequences for everyone involved
If you could wipe your credit clean overnight, knowing someone was lying to the bureaus to make it happen, would you still press the button?
Support & Connect with BCÂł:
Instagram: Follow Me
FB: Follow Me
TikTok: Follow Me
Patreon:Â JOIN HERE
Facebook Discussion Group:Â Black Coffee, Crime & Crochet
YouTube:Â WATCH HERE
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Ratings and reviews help the show reach new listeners and make it easier for people to find thoughtful, well researched content like this.
If you know someone who is working on their credit, thinking about credit repair, or needs to hear this episode before paying someone promising fast results, share it with them. That matters more than you think.Â
SOURCES
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Press release announcing the indictment of Edwin Jacquet, Peter Romeo, Edwin J. Mansour Jr., and Denise Hudson for operating a fraudulent credit repair scheme through Highway Furniture and New York Funding Group. July 25, 2011.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. “Leader Of Fraudulent Credit Repair Scheme Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court,” detailing Edwin Jacquet’s guilty plea. March 21, 2012.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. “Participant In Multi Million Dollar Fraudulent Credit Repair Scheme Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 51 Months In Prison,” detailing sentencing for Edwin J. Mansour Jr. and Denise Hudson. March 20, 2013.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Sentencing press release for Denise Hudson and restitution order in the Highway Furniture and New York Funding case. March 2013.
United States v. Jacquet et al., Southern District of New York. Criminal charging documents and plea agreements related to the fraudulent credit repair scheme conducted through Highway Furniture Inc. and New York Funding Group Inc.
United States v. Mansour Jr., Southern District of New York. Case background summarizing the fake tradeline scheme, furnisher manipulation, and negative item deletion.
Frank on Fraud. “Synthetic Identity’s New Shell Game – Fake Tradelines,” analysis of the Highway Furniture and New York Funding scheme and its impact on lenders. April 30, 2021.
Experian and TransUnion furnisher program documentation noting how data furnishers access and report consumer information, referenced in DOJ descriptions of the scheme.