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How To Avoid Lottery, Prize Scams: You Didn’t Enter, But You 'Won'?
A surprise message says you hit the jackpot, but there’s a catch: you must pay a fee or hand over personal details to claim it.
That’s the hallmark of a lottery or prize scam—designed to separate you from your money and identity.
These schemes often arrive by email, text, phone, or mail and lean on pressure tactics to force quick decisions.
Scammers frequently demand “taxes,” “processing,” or “shipping” upfront, or ask for sensitive data to “verify” you.
Legitimate lotteries do not require payment to release a prize, and you should never be asked for your Social Security…
Ex-Mass State Trooper Guilty In CDL Bribery Scandal Gets Month In Prison: Feds
A former Massachusetts State Police trooper has been sentenced for his involvement in a scheme to falsify records related to Commercial Driver’s License applicants, impacting public safety in the process.
Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, with the first two months on home confinement. The government had recommended a year behind bars.
In July 2025, Mendes pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy to falsify records, falsifying records, and making fals…
$1M Cross-Country Title-Washing Ring Used Stolen Porsches, Audis, BMWs In PA: AG
A high-end title-washing ring based in central Pennsylvania profited more than $1 million by selling stolen luxury cars from Florida, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent operation was allegedly led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, who, with a network of 12 others, used fake documents to “wash” vehicle titles, then sold over two dozen stolen cars to private buyers, dealers, and auction houses between 2022 and 2023, according to AG Sunday.
The vehicles—many of them Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Land Rovers, and other high-end brands—were stolen in Florida. …
$140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters
A former aide to Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes admitted to stealing more than $140,000 from a North Philadelphia church where he was a deacon and from a city political ward he led, the FBI announced on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, July 30.
From 2020 to 2024, Jordan exploited his roles at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Philadelphia’s 44th Ward for personal benefit, court d…
Nypd Officer Steals $87K From Elderly Bank Clients For BMW, Aruba Trip: DA
An NYPD officer who previously worked at a Westchester bank has been charged in a sweeping financial crimes case accusing him of stealing over $85,000 from elderly customers and using the funds to pay for personal expenses—including a Caribbean vacation, luxury car payments, and fitness program subscriptions.
Yeison Rodriguez Acosta, age 27, of Manhattan, was arraigned Thursday, July 17, in Rye City Court on a 30-count felony complaint stemming from a months-long investigation by the City of Rye Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, both agencies announced.…
Funeral Home Owner Who Stashed 190 Decaying Bodies Gets Maximum Federal Sentence: 'Inhumane'
A Colorado man who gave grieving families urns filled with dry concrete instead of their loved ones’ ashes has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison — the maximum possible sentence, authorities announced Friday, June 27.
Jon M. Hallford, 45, of Colorado Springs, was the owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated in Colorado Springs and Penrose alongside his wife, Carie Hallford.
Over a four-year period, Hallford failed to cremate or bury at least 190 bodies — while collecting more than $130,000 from families for services he never provided, the U.S. Attorney’s Office…
