Pilot Flying J's corporate offices are pictured in this file photo.Pilot lawsuits to be combined
A federal panel has consolidated seven lawsuits against Pilot Flying J, the truck stop company owned by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The suits claims Pilot cheated trucking companies out of promised rebates and discounts.Knoxville-based Pilot already paid $85 million to 5,500 customers in a November class-action settlement of similar claims.
A federal investigation of the nation's largest diesel retailer is ongoing.
IRS warns of phone scam
The government is warning taxpayers to beware of phone calls from individuals claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service in an effort to defraud them. J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said his office has received reports of more than 20,000 such contacts who have collected more than $1 million in what he said is the largest scam ever of its kind.
"The increasing number of people receiving these unsolicited calls from individuals who fraudulently claim to represent the IRS is alarming," he said.
Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver's license.