Charles Ponzi was a legendary Boston swindler who promised investors 100 percent returns in 90 days if they joined a scheme to buy and sell international postal coupons. In 1920, after roughly seven months of easy riches, he was exposed as a fraud and arrested.

Group of Seven finance chiefs vowed to support banks and buoy slowing economic growth as Europe’s debt crisis roiled financial markets and threatened a global recession.

U.S. stocks fell, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to the sixth drop in the past seven weeks, as concern Greece’s finances are deteriorating overshadowed President Barack Obama’s $447 billion plan to stimulate growth.

Authorities in New York and New Jersey increased security after reports of a credible, uncorroborated threat that terrorists may be plotting an attack in the city around the Sept. 11 anniversary.

Sprint Nextel Corp. will offer Apple Inc.’s iPhone next month with unlimited data service plans to distinguish itself from rivals AT&T; Inc. and Verizon Wireless, according to people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. economy would get a boost of up to 2 percent under President Barack Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan, say economists at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Moody’s Analytics Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is preparing plans to shore up German banks in the event that Greece fails to meet the terms of its aid package and defaults, three coalition officials said.