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Mahwah-Ramsey, NJ
Breaking News
Covid-
19
Scam
ALERT: Contact Tracer Or Con Artist? Here's How To Tell
In case you haven’t already heard, identity thieves have been texting people pretending to be coronavirus contact tracers in order to steal their money. Contact tracers are hired by public health departments to get hold of people who’ve had close contact with those who've tested positive for COVID-19. The goal is to warn those people to self-quarantine, and monitor their systems daily, in case they may have been infected themselves. Contract tracing has helped curb the spread of COVID-19. But, as with any public emergency, it’s also become a popular tool for scammers looking to take y…
Monsey, NY
Breaking News
Covid-
19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says
Some opportunistic fraudsters are taking advantage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis by posing as contact tracers hired by the state to obtain personal information and money. Since the outbreak began, state officials have stressed the importance of ramping up COVID-19 testing, then tracing the people they’ve come into contact with, and isolating those people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “contact tracing, a core disease control measure employed by local and state health department personnel for decades, is a key strategy for preventing further spread…
Hackensack, NJ
Breaking News
Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For
Federal authorities said they've gotten help from domain providers and others in smashing hundreds of online sites exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit fraud and other crimes. As of Tuesday, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) had received and reviewed more than 3,600 complaints related to COVID-19 scams, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Many of them “operated from websites that advertised fake vaccines and cures, operated fraudulent charity drives, delivered malware, or hosted various other types of scams,” federal officials said in a release. To attract traffic, t…
Torrington, CT
Your Community
Covid-
19: Alert Issued For Department Of Treasury Stimulus Scams
As more than 80 million Americans have either already received or are awaiting economic stimulus automatic deposits in their bank accounts or checks through the mail, the Treasury Department is warning of scams associated with the payments. "If you receive calls, emails, or other communications claiming to be from the United States Treasury Department and offering COVID-19 related grants or stimulus payments in exchange for personal financial information, or an advance fee, or charge of any kind, including the purchase of gift cards, do not respond, "the department said. The Federal T…
Hackensack, NJ
Breaking News
Western Union Paying $153M In Compensation To Seniors Who Lost Money In Phone Scams
Western Union “turned a blind eye” to money transfers made by elderly phone scam victims and is now paying for it to the tune of $153 million to more than 109,000 people in the U.S. and abroad, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. The payment “brings some measure of justice for the elderly and other victims,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said. It’s only just a start, though. Before it’s done, Western Union must pony up $586 million, which the government is making available to compensate victims of international consumer …
Hackensack, NJ
Breaking News
Feds Bust 400 Scammers Who Preyed On Elderly
Federal prosecutors throughout the U.S. have teamed up to charge more than 400 people in scams that have recently cost America’s senior citizens more than a billion dollars. The largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud ever was announced by U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr during a talk earlier this week aimed at protecting older Americans from financial harm. The event, “Keeping Seniors Safe,” was held – where else? – in Florida. The Sunshine State had the most prosecutions brought by federal authorities in the sweep: 21. Ranking second was New York State, with 18. The Southe…
Massapequa, NY
Breaking News
FBI Warning That Hackers Can Use Smart TVs To Spy On You Prompts Call For Federal Probe
Your smart TV may “see you when you’re sleeping, and knows when you’re awake,” according to officials calling for a federal probe into security and data protection of one of the holiday season’s most popular gifts. The FBI issued a warning that smart TVs, which can connect to the internet and collect data on users, may present a potential security threat since they’re often equipped with features such as microphones and cameras. According to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, TV manufacturers, app developers, and hackers can gain access to critical data that smart TVs collect on users, risking the ex…
Mamaroneck, NY
Breaking News
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls
Police agencies are issuing warnings of a new Apple scam targeting iPhone users. An alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.” According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone. In Westchester, a Yorktown resident recently re…
Shelton, CT
Breaking News
Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams
Officials are warning of new “smishing” scams that have been making the rounds. The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert cautioning consumers of new scams that have been using text messages, not the traditional emails. One such scam involves the fraudster offering to provide major savings on television services. The scams involve the victims sending back personal information, or infecting devices with malware. According to the Better Business Bureau, this new scheme is called “smishing” which stands for SMS fishing, as opposed to “phishing,” which involves email. “We’re kind of condit…
Somers, NY
Breaking News
Imposters Selling English Courses Target Immigrant Community In Westchester
An alert has been issued in Westchester warning of opportunistic fraudsters who are targeting Spanish and Hispanic immigrant communities selling high-priced English language courses. The Yonkers Police Department has received information that scammers have been targeting immigrant communities, and if the target of the fraud refuses to pay, they are threatened with false reports to immigration officials if they don’t send along money. Police said that members of the community “are reminded to never engage in financial transactions with unknown people over the telephone, and to simply hang up…
Mamaroneck, NY
Breaking News
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls
Police agencies are issuing warnings of a new Apple scam that has been making the rounds targeting iPhone users. A new alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.” According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone. In Westchest…
Hackensack, NJ
Your Community
What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From
Hundreds of Allendale residents recently joined tens of thousands of fellow Americans nationwide in reporting an item delivered through Amazon that they didn't order – in this instance, an iPhone screen protector. “Tossed it in the trash,” wrote one of the recipients. “Sketchy.” “I got one to my house and to my office. Neither for phones I have,” another added. “Have been getting them too. Not once, but 3 times already,” another said. “So weird.” Should they be worried? Probably not, experts say. A flood of deliveries of an unordered item is usually part of a scam known as “brushing,” i…
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