Special Reports - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee
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The company's left a 15-state trail of phony book and magazine sales. Andy Wise followed its trail to a $1/2 million house in a gated community off Holmes Rd.
We knew there was something more to this company's sales pitch than just a name change.
Andy Wise reveals the five rights you probably didn't know you had when it comes to auto repairs.
You've given it a lot of thought. You got the training. You're ready to choose a gun. Andy Wise walks you through what you need to consider -- to pick the RIGHT one.
The neighbors thought city workers were trashing their recyclables. They didn't know they were seeing the future of Memphis recycling.
Investigators catch a squatter in Raleigh stealing utilities. Now a warrant's out for his arrest.
A Mid-South charity's making amends for leaving behind an identity thief's treasure trove.
It's the second time we found a recalled product on its shelves. It's the first time its top brass met Andy Wise to make it right.
A Memphis roofing company offers a free roof to a Parkway Village woman who was ripped off. Andy Wise sets everything straight in this Investigators follow-up.
Andy Wise gets a car rental company to do the right thing after it failed to verify a customer's proof of insurance.
A survivor of the 1998 Westside Middle School shootings in Jonesboro evaluates our test of Tapco, Inc.'s security screens.
Door-to-door is dead, unless you're a roofer. Both good ones and bad ones do it for business. Andy Wise investigates why, the risks and how consumers should handle it.
Learn the code to determine a tire's age. 72 poor souls didn't since the first time Andy Wise revealed the code. 31 of them paid for that mistake with their lives.
Andy Wise and a child safety expert find recalled and heavily-worn merchandise on the shelves of Essex Bargain Hunt.
He's logged multiple victims. His state contractors board has him red-flagged. Now unlicensed contractor Daniel J. Foster of West Memphis, AR, faces a theft charge.
Andy Wise's stunt ride offers both insight and a service.
Andy Wise and the Aging Commission of the Mid-South want to nip this one in the bud. This "scare" -- is really a "scare tactic."
Andy Wise shares both the Better Business Bureau's and Groupon's advice for negotiating daily-deal web sites.
You'll learn two things from Andy Wise's investigation: you WILL get a call after your next auto accident, and you WILL know exactly what you should do.
This is the company's ad featured in the local newspaperFear-mongering ads. Deceptive technicians. Muddy paper trails. But they didn't count on Action News 5's Chief Consumer Investigator Andy Wise.
Watch Andy Wise's hidden camera test of the area's busiest express car washes, then read up on the services you should receive when you spring for the "ultimate" wash package.
The products you should never buy at dollar stores, according to our Raycom Media sister station in Tucson, AZ.
They knock on your car window, cash jug in hand -- and they can solicit you without having to register with the state or file their own federal tax exemption. Chief Consumer Investigator Andy Wise reveals weaknesses in the laws that fail to hold some religious charities accountable.
Memphis' mayor has a few words for the two code inspectors he fired after Andy Wise's hidden camera investigation.
With the U.S. Secret Service at the helm, the Mid-South Electronic Crimes Task Force marshals the region's law enforcement resources to investigate digital crimes.
Andy Wise spied on them for a week as they neglected their duties and failed to respond to assignments. Now the "men not at work" are out of work.
Two city code inspectors have been relieved from duty after The Action News 5 Investigators ran video surveillance of the inspectors hiding out for days inside their city vehicles.
Andy Wise investigates a trusted benefactor, a prestigious Mid-South cheerleading squad -- and a disputed $8,000 in missing pictures and banners.
She was clocked doing 48 in a 35. The real crime is what happened when she tried to pay the ticket.
Andy Wise helps a Fayette County woman cancel her contract after having one whopper of a time with America's most recognizable medical emergency service.
He marketed homes he does not own to members of a church. His story is Andy Wise's cautionary tale about buying and investing in foreclosures.
New allegations, two police reports and code enforcement are now after a woman illegally selling used cars right out of a Germantown, TN, cul-de-sac. Andy Wise updates his investigation of a "curb stoner."
High school sophomore Dave Brown landed his first job in broadcasting in 1962. Fifty years later, Dave is still in the business and has no intention of getting out any time soon.
It's the name that licensed tattoo artists give underground, UNLICENSED artists. Andy Wise reports those artists are a growing public health concern.
Here's where you'll find Andy Wise's resources for reporting delinquent gas stations, as well as some recent violators.
A Collierville, TN, fitness center's ads seem too good to be true. That's because they are. Andy Wise punctured the center's "Pumped Up Promises."
When your smart phone's out of juice, someone might be looking to jack it. Especially at the airport, as Andy Wise investigated.
The "travel club" camped out at a Germantown hotel for a month, preying on consumers with promises of big travel discounts. Until Andy Wise crashed its meeting.
A Raleigh-Bartlett man's taking titles right out from under foreclosed properties. He says it's his "sovereign right" to swipe the deeds. It just might take Andy Wise to set him straight.
Googling the venue's not enough. Andy Wise says you have to see the signs of a scalper site.
After Chief Consumer Investigator Andy Wise busted a wayward tax preparer, the IRS offered these tips for shopping the RIGHT tax preparer.
Andy Wise shares the web resources that get your children -- and your lost loved ones -- off nagging mailing lists for good.
Not one, but two laws are on the books to prohibit the sale and purchase of stripped copper and coils. Yet Andy Wise found thieves in Shelby County still ripping it off schools, churches and homes and taking it right across the river.
More than 100 million of the iconic and often expensive stems are sold every year in the US for Valentines Day. However, is a rose really just like any other rose or do some have more staying power?
He's accused of pretending to be an entrepreneur, psychologist and even a doctor. Police say he's a master of disguise and many people have fallen victim to his scams.
Crowds gather in the grand lobby of the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis to watch the march of the famous Peabody Ducks every day, but there's a lot they don't know about these feathered friends and what happens before and after they make it to the red carpet.
Andy Wise lists the questions to ask and the precautions to take if you are in the market to either buy or sell a used gaming console.
She owned it free and clear. The car was state's evidence in her son's murder investigation. So Andy Wise investigates why the city's impound lot sold it for scrap.
There have been major developments in the case of a Tunica millionaire who turned up dead after a while weekend at the lake. At first, investigators believed it may have been natural causes, but now they are investigating a homicide, and the millionaire's daughter has put up $25,000 in reward money.
The Tennessee fire marshal just gave the thumbs up to a new alarm that combines both types of smoke detectors.
A federal court settlement offers hope to Mid-South victims of Chinese drywall.
A deadly secret lurks in the shadows of picturesque Monette, Arkansas - a secret the tiny hamlet of 1,200 has been holding onto for 25 years.
It was the shoe seen round the world. Mary Winkler's eight-inch, stiletto heel was the turning point in the case of the Mid-South preacher's wife charged with his murder.
First-time felony offenders, even in cases where they illegally fired a weapon, enjoy a gracious amount of amnesty under Tennessee's expunged cases law, as investigated by Action News 5's Andy Wise.
Andy Wise and The Grocery Game's Teri Gault reveal the surprise of which grocery chain goes really low when you stack coupons with store sales and register rewards.
Bridging the gap between freestyle and the hyper-choreographed dancing is 23-year-old Memphian Charles Riley - also known as Lil Buck.
You never know when or where you could be a victim. You may have thought about it before, but what would you really do if you found yourself in a dangerous situation?
More than 62 percent of all televisions purchased this year have screens of 40-inch screens or larger, and with the growing size of televisions come the growing trend of tip-overs.
The cops make an arrest -- and bust one of the "candy men."
There's enough to worry about already when you put a loved one in a nursing home, but have you ever thought about the registered sex offenders who live there? Some states are considering legislation to warn potential tenants of the risk of moving in.
A Mid-South woman who was burned alive on the job has now been fired from the facility where she was injured. Catrina Jones describes the past year as hell on Earth.
Mariah Stokes says there are some advantages to not having hair.
They are often the most feared and fiercely defended breed of dog on the planet, and in Memphis, they're the biggest problem in animal control.
Andy Wise unveils the tricks and strategies of social media, web sites and smart phone apps to get a live person in customer service.
An inmate inside a Mid-South prison has been able to take pictures and post them online, despite a high-tech blocking technology put in place to keep him from doing just that.
A Mid-South girl who became a virtual prisoner in her own home is experiencing a remarkable recovery.
An ambulance could mean the difference between life and death during an emergency, but on some days in Memphis there are no ambulances available.
Andy and expert shopper Teri Gault use their tricks to target the best deals at drug stores.
A new shelter could be the first step toward a new future for Memphis Animal Services without former shelter director Matthew Pepper.
Golfers beware! U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its seizing an increasing number of counterfeit golf products ordered by consumers over the internet.
Sharing the road with drivers in Memphis can be dangerous and deadly. According to Memphis police, there were almost 28,000 wrecks in the city last year, and 78 deaths.
It's a dangerous new game on Facebook: "Smash or Pass" and it's gaining popularity among young teens.
Doing business door-to-door -- is getting dumb and dumber. With the alarm company Andy Wise is investigating, door-to-door's getting downright pushy.
It turns out no one is keeping tabs on a Memphis City judge while she travels the globe on your dime.
A Memphis woman who was once attacked in her home feels victimized again by her attacker's early release from prison.
You paid for another high priced trip for a Memphis City Judge. Last month, the Action News Five Investigators uncovered receipts showing thousands spent on judicial conferences in the Caribbean, Las Vegas, and the Gulf Coast, just to name a few locations.
There's a dirty secret inside an east Memphis apartment complex. Residents there recently asked the Action News 5 investigators to expose the shocking sight inside a unit there.
Free cell phones for Americans on government assistance. A train wreck waiting to happen right? Andy Wise says you don't know the half of it.
More than six years later, Memphis police are still searching for clues in a triple murder that has stumped investigators.
Tattoo artists say scratchers, or untrained and unlicensed tattoo artists, are putting people in danger.
Why pay full price for anything you buy? We'll explain how to never pay retail.
The scammer's posing as a cellular company representative, and his scam's working because he already has something that belongs to his victims.
Adjust your privacy settings and be smart about what you post on Facebook & Twitter. Your insurance agent is watching.
The perfect wedding dress is a must for many brides, so imagine actually purchasing 26 dresses before settling on the right one.
There are three elected Memphis city judges who share a travel budget worth thousands, but records show one judge in particular spends most of that money.
At a modest warehouse in Memphis, music from around the world is shipped to every corner of the globe.
Kids have been using fake IDs for decades for access to a number of things. Now, scammers are doing the same thing, only they want access to your information.
A drunk driver responsible for the death of two children outside their Mid-South school could be released from prison next month, after spending less than half her sentence behind bars.
Two Mid-South brides say they're out thousands of dollars given to a local wedding planner who they now say was only planning her escape.
Craig Rudolph has dabbled in sales, both from his home and online. Rudolph never had a problem, until a buyer expressed interest in a garden window he had listed for sale for $450 on Craigslist.
Sex and social media made national headlines when Congressman Anthony Weiner exposed himself online. Now, a Twitter account is attracting thousands doing the same thing.
Andy Wise investigates why one of the agencies we trust to protect our credit wants to let us share our credit scores with the entire planet.
Four years ago, young Jalen Griffin's life changed forever when he was run over by his school bus. Now, thanks to modern science and generous Mid-Southerners, he's on a promising new journey.
Some women can't live without high-dollar hair extensions, and in Memphis, thieves are hot for hair, too. Police reports reveal a beauty trend is turning into a crime trend, as supply stores are ransacked for weaves.
If you are planning a summer vacation, those pictures on the hotel website might not be what's waiting for you.
A dryer that takes forever to dry clothes could be the warning sign of a fire hazard.
Almost three months after Holly Bobo disappeared, there is still an active command center in Parsons, Tennessee staffed with investigators tracking down leads.
New software can give people you wouldn't necessarily call friends a detailed map of your daily routine. The program can your every move, from home to work, and your favorite stores and restaurants. And you could be making it very easy with a single post to social media.
Investigators say someone is making false calls to seniors pretending to be from a government agency, but what they're really trying to do is steal their money.
What happened to a Tunica millionaire who turned up dead after a wild weekend at the lake? Charles Ewing's body was found in Lake Hamilton last month, floating just 60 feet away from his Cadillac as it was pulled from the water.
When you cook at home it is easier to make healthy choices because you control the portion size and how each item is prepared. What about when you dine out?
State officials took action after an Action News 5 investigation exposed a disturbing loophole in Tennessee's sex offender laws.
They are two blondes with a common bond. Melanie Metz and Peggy Willenburg are not biologically related, but they share a love of weather – specifically, tornados.
If you're thinking about signing a lease-purchase agreement on a house, Andy Wise says, "Don't Do It!"
It's a case that haunts a Mid-South investigator: What happened to a local teenager, who partied with friends and then simply disappeared?
Take Andy Wise's challenge, then use his checklist for shopping & buying used vehicles.
The ads are everywhere these days. Mineral makeup - makeup products made without harsh chemicals - are instead made with ingredients from the earth.
We may never know all the details of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden, and for good reason. But the Action News 5 Investigators have uncovered a Mid-South connection to the raid.
Pre-historic bones are surfacing in some Mid-South neighborhoods, and researchers in the area say these discoveries could be the beginning of a major discovery.
Memphis and Shelby County Humane Society Director John Robinson is outraged by a smart phone app that offers a virtual trip into the world of illegal dog fighting.
Andy Wise first exposed his scheme. Now a Mid-South debt/foreclosure scam artist will serve more than 17 years in a federal pen.
A Memphis woman knew when she was attacked outside her home, her life would never be the same. But she is turning her heart-breaking battle for survival into a lesson for everyone.
We bet you didn't know there are different TYPES of smoke detectors. Andy Wise puts them to the test to see if one's more likely to get you out alive.
While you sit in your home with your air conditioner running, you could be feeding a teen's deadly addiction. Kids, right here in our area, are huffing chemicals from air conditioning units to get high.
You may not know it but armed with just your name and a computer, a stranger can find out a lot about you. There are dozens of websites that collect information about consumers.
A Mid-South father says a man charged with the statutory rape of his daughter is using his status updates on Facebook to violate orders to stay away.
Family members believe the body of a Collierville man who disappeared during a dive trip to Florida last summer may be trapped in an underwater cave.
It's been permitted for decades, but there is increasing debate in hospitals around the nation about whether or not parents should be allowed to video their child's birth.
He cremates pets. He just won't show you how. That's because he doesn't operate a licensed cremator -- and Andy Wise reports there's no telling what he's doing with the corpses.
A beat down caught on camera sent Mid-South investigators out to break up a possible fight club.
Whitney Hinton was just 15 years old when her mutilated body was discovered in a house in Wynne, Arkansas.
Kids can get porn on certain gaming consoles -- FOR FREE. Andy Wise will give you the tool to block it -- FOR FREE.
Have you ever not left a tip at a restaurant or bar? It's the customer's right, but now a Memphis waitress is turning the tables on patrons who leave her with little cash.
The nation learned a lot of lessons after September 11, including keeping track of known terrorists and not letting them on planes.
To family members, it seems Ruth Thompson was determined to die. A crumpled Cadillac was all that was left after her third attempt to kill herself behind the wheel.
A new kind of addiction has mental health counselors worried.
An advocate for the disabled and Action News 5's Andy Wise find four mental patients in a boarding house without their meds, running out of food...and running out of time.
When it comes to the social media website Twitter, there are three heirs to the throne of "Twitter King" in Memphis.
A new memoir penned by the ex-wife of pro golfer John Daly is making waves among golf wives across the nation.
How would you like to work for a place that gives out vacation days for your birthday, for holiday shopping days, and as a reward for making a modest donation to charity?
There's a good chance your child has a gaming system. But do you really know what they're up to while they're in the next room playing?
A local middle schooler, who we will not identify, experienced a grueling time last school year with some classmates.
Public health inspector Jeremy Hessell makes it his business to pick through the best and worst kitchens during his daily inspections. But how would a kitchen in someone's home fare?
Spring Break airfare's bad enough. It gets worse when the airlines hit you with hidden fees that are hard to find -- unless you have Andy Wise doing the hunting.
Top health officials in Tennessee are issuing a warning for parents after an Action News 5 investigation revealed a spike in the number of people using household items to get high.
How secure are your email or online banking accounts? You've probably put a pretty good password on them to keep them safe, but it doesn't take much to reset those passwords.
Four years ago, Memphis waitress Ricarda Tillman Lockett clocked out at work and was never seen again, leaving behind a young son and a devastated family.
The FBI calls it modern day slavery: humans for sale right here in Memphis. Men, women and sometimes children are for sale, and the criminals behind the enterprise are using some well known places to do business.
Tierney Bourage said the moments she missed most while in the hospital were just being a high school senior.
13.1 million people went under the knife for a cosmetic procedure in 2010, and more than 200,000 of those operations were performed on teens.
No matter the result of the Memphis City Schools charter surrender referendum on March 8, it appears certain that dozens of under-utilized schools in the city's system will close.
Good company. Bad mistake. The combination makes for an interesting cautionary tale by Andy Wise about why it's so important to verify who's calling and why.
Do you think your neighborhood is immune from sex offenders? You could be wrong. Some neighborhoods are crawling with them.
It was a girls night out that ended in murder - two Mid-South women, partying on Beale Street, who were killed before they made it home. But now, there's hope for a new break in the case after somebody got away with cold blooded murder.
With household items like nutmeg making headlines as ways to get high at home, parents have their hands full. That's why a local mother agreed to let a drug prevention counselor walk through her home to give her some advice.
Last summer, Mid-South lawmakers banned the sale of fake pot, a potpourri that some people were smoking to get high. Now there are new variations of even harder drugs that parents are struggling to keep up with.
Andy Wise and federal agents chase a scam artist trolling for lonely hearts and reckless women on Facebook.
If you commit the crime, you'll likely do the time – that's a reality each week for thousands of Mid-Southerners, many of whom end up spending a weekend in jail.
"Paper terrorism" is a term used by the FBI, Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League to describe the use of fraudulent legal documents, frivolous lawsuits and the misuse of legitimate legal documents.
The Action News 5 Investigators are on the case of a man convicted of sex crimes against children, who just won't stop contacting those children. He does it through the mailbox.
Many people have heard of pot brownies. Now, experts are issuing a warning about a new, legal magic brownie that replaces marijuana with melatonin.
A raunchy telemarketer reveals a big hole in Tennessee's Do Not Call list. Andy Wise investigates.
Convicted robber Courtney Means didn't try to hide his Facebook activities from behind bars.
A student struck by lightning last year on the first day of school is making progress on the long road to recovery.
"Vodka Eyeballing" is a drinking game gaining in popularity, but according to medical experts those who choose to play could find themselves blindsided by an unexpected side effect.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about a new email being sent in an attempt to get your personal information. This time they're making it look like an order confirmation from Amazon.com.
An elderly woman lost thousands of dollars after recently becoming the victim of a 'pigeon drop' scam.
Two Memphis police officers were recently suspended after a wild police party that went out of control and resulted in a rape complaint against an officer.
If they haven't already approached you -- they could soon. Police say Windshield Bullies are on the prowl. They could be lurking in your neighborhood, a carwash or at the local gas station.
Many of us could use a check for $10,000, but if you get one in the mail the U.S. Postal Service says it's probably a scam.
You may not think it can happen to you, but you could be the next victim of a phony lottery phone call.
A nursing home at the center of a health department investigation said Tuesday their facility is safe for residents and staff.
It's a lesson in living from a real American hero. Navy Lieutenant John Pucillo, who goes by the name 'Pooch,' lives by two words: adapt and overcome. Pucillo has done a lot of both.
How many hours a day do you spend on the computer? Between work and play, surfing and studying if you're bound to experience some computer related vision problems because our eyes have just about had it.
The topic of bed bugs is on everyone's lips these days, and unfortunately, many people are finding the bugs in their homes. But now, there may be a way to warn others.
Action News 5's Andy Wise teams up with the ONLY officially licensed product-maker for the Liberty Bowl to make sure you buy a Champion - not a "chump" - on game day.
Following a few simple rules when looking for a mover will go a long way toward protecting you from being victimized by scammers this summer, advises the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA).
Andy's great guidelines for dealing with ALL solicitations. Print this one and put it on your frig!
When it comes to insurance, you can protect yourself against so many things. But what about divorce insurance?
If your status is 'separated' or 'going through a divorce' you might want to stay off Facebook.
A state referral agency. The people she "hired." A beloved rap artist. Alisa R. Harris nearly had them all fooled. But she didn't fool Action News 5's Andy Wise.
A new product claims to calm down dogs when she or she is scared or overexcited.
In-house stem cell therapy - another medical first for Kentucky. The first in-house stem cell processing system is being used to treat animals here in Kentucky and humans could soon benefit.
Four times a year, mothers incarcerated at Jail East take part in contact visits, a time when inmates are allowed to physically touch their children. For most mothers, the visits are a harsh reminder of what they did to land in jail, and how it has affected their children.
For professional organizer Sandy Wright, keeping an orderly home is second nature, but her clients' cases range from simple to severe.
In her first-ever interview, the fiancé of a West Memphis police officer killed last May is recounting the call that changed her life forever.
You might be sitting on a gold mine without knowing it, but where do you start looking to find cash in your home?
A young couple from a small town in West Tennessee hasn't been seen or heard from in four years. Years after their disappearance, their mothers are wondering whether they're missing or murdered.
Can a new take home test predict the gender of a baby as early as 10 weeks into a mother's pregnancy? To find out, Action News 5 employed the help of morning show reporter Amy Speropoulos, who recently learned she was pregnant.
It's a list you don't want to be on: deadbeat dads ducking their legal responsibility to pay child support. In Shelby County, deadbeat dads number in the thousands, and while some parents may feel like they're sticking it to their ex, it's the children who are the real victims.
It's the kind of thing people have nightmares about: A woman's body stuffed beneath a motel bed, there for weeks while unsuspecting guests sleep right on top of it. It happened right here in Memphis, and nearly a year later, the victim's family is still searching for answers.
A new at-home workout is built on intensity. It's called Insanity, and it's a program that claims you can burn up to a thousand calories an hour on your way to getting into best shape of your life.
Two years ago, when TSA used Richmond International Airport as a test market for the new full-body imaging machines, modesty was the main concern. But the issue now is safety.
Get in the game and grab huge savings with Andy Wise, Teri Gault and The Grocery Game!
Better call your insurance agent after you watch Andy Wise cut right through the debate between aftermarket and original manufacturer auto parts.
Researchers recently blew down a perfectly good house to demonstrate how a few thousand dollars can help ensure high winds from a tornado or other disaster don't destroy your home.
That knock on your door could be an alligator. Gators are beginning to show up in strange places around Shelby County.
Teri Gault, the Queen of Cheap, will have you wondering, "How did she do that?" -- as she and Andy Wise rack up big savings at the stores UNDERCOVER.
Prisoners are supposed to get limited contact with the outside world. That's why they're in prison - to be removed from the outside world. But at least one prisoner found a way to stay connected, in real time, through Facebook.
Andy Wise and his Internet security expert troll Mid-South neighborhoods, looking for wide-open Wi-Fi. Click here for the best ways to secure your wireless network.
Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton offered a first glimpse Monday at 'The Man In the Arena,' the new tell-all book he is penning about his personal and political life.
EXCLUSIVE INSIDE: Herenton lists his 'rules of survival' for African-American politicians in the Mid-South.
The number of injuries to young children caused by exposure to household cleaning products have decreased almost by half since 1990, but roughly 12,000 children under the age of 6 are still being treated in U.S. emergency rooms every year for these types of accidental poisonings, a new study finds.
Class reunions are a rite of passage for many. At them, you see how some change, while others stay the same. For Covington High School's Class of 1980, change was a big part of a recent 30-year reunion.
Two prominent Mid-South leaders are questioning whether proper training to deal with children is included in the high cost of security at Memphis City Schools.
Could a famous blue pill made for man work for man's best friend? Surprisingly, Viagra is used to ailments other than the main thing it is known for, including now, heart problems in dogs.
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