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Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds
Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds A 55-year-old Boston food truck owner faces up to 20 years in prison after he has was charged him with lying to get $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday, July 20. Loc Vo, who owns Smart Gourmet, is accused of fraudulently filing loan applications from April 2020 until July 2021 for programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the U.S. Attorney in Boston said. The programs were to help businesses stay afloat during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic.  But federal authorities said Vo used the money to invest…

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by Josh Lanier
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Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs
Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to attempting to buy an $83,000 Chevrolet Camaro using two victims' stolen identities. Worcester County resident Brandon Brouillard, age 28, of Worcester, made the plea on Thursday, April 8, said the US Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts.  According to court documents, in February 2021, Brouillard used the identity of a New Hampshire resident to open a bank account at Avidia Bank by wiring $108,000 from another individual’s Bank of America account.  Brouillard also fraudulently obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license in the …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme
Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme A former employee of a Massachusetts city's housing development office was sentenced for her role in a $2.3 million property development fraud scheme. Jacklyn Sutcivni, age 48, of the Middlesex County town of Dracut, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Monday, March 28. She was convicted of the charges on Aug. 4. Sutcivni was an employee of the City of Worcester’s Housi…

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by Nicole Valinote
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CT Man Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K CT Man Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K
CT Man Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing some $679,000 from his grandparents. Leonard Boyle, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Hartford County resident Douglas Senerth, age 32 of South Windsor, plead guilty to the fraud on Wednesday, Feb. 23. According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2011 and 2019, Senerth defrauded his grandmother and his late grandfather by falsely claiming to be a college student and inducing them to give him approximately $419,000 to pay for nonexistent college tuition and other related expenses…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
CT Man Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses CT Man Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses
CT Man Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from involvement in a scheme to use stolen identities to lease and purchase vehicles and motorcycles. Hartford County resident, Jamie Pinto, age 45, of Manchester, was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 27 to prison time followed by three years of supervised release, said Leonard C Boyle, acting US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in late 2017, Pinto, Domingo St. Hilaire Rosario, and another individual conspired …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Alarm bells are sounding for law enforcement agencies as a new Social Security scam continues making the rounds as opportunistic fraudsters look to exploit the elderly. An alert was issued by police agencies in New York after they received multiple reports of scammers impersonating Social Security Administration (SSA) employees over the phone requesting personal information or money. Police said that some of the imposters have made threats or demanded immediate payment to help their victims avoid arrest or potential legal action. Officials noted that SSA employees will never threaten anyon…

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by Zak Failla
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Alert Issued For Fraudulent FEMA Claims In Westchester Alert Issued For Fraudulent FEMA Claims In Westchester
Alert Issued For Fraudulent FEMA Claims In Westchester With many still seeking federal assistance in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida, some law enforcement agencies have reported an uptick in fraudulent FEMA claims. An alert was issued by police agencies cautioning about a rise in fraudulent FEMA claims filed in the name of people who did not experience disaster-related damage and who did not file any legitimate claim. According to police, companies have been contracted by fraudsters to appear at individuals’ homes or to contact people about the claims to collect personal information or compensation. It is believed that the …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams Opportunistic fraudsters have taken advantage of some consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time targeting child tax credit payments that have been sent out to assist families. The IRS recently issued an alert after it began sending tens of millions of dollars to families, though scammers have been attempting to pull a fast one over on some to steal thousands of dollars in federal benefits. According to the IRS, scammers have been reaching out to families using emails, text messages, and through social media, asking to verify personal information to receive the child tax credit payme…

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by Zak Failla
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Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say
Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Officials are cautioning about “boss scams” that have been making the rounds in the region as fraudsters target vulnerable employees as the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic surges. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued an alert warning of “boss scams,” which involve scammers using text messages and emails to pose as employers and request gift cards for alleged work emergencies. James said that the scam has been on the rise during the pandemic as many employees have been working remotely for months, some more than a year. According to James, “an employee receives a text or an …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number
Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number Massachusetts State Police are warning residents to be careful about scammers spoofing state police phone numbers. On Tuesday, Aug. 24, the department tweeted about the calls, telling residents the calls were fraudulent. The tweet.Massachusetts State Police A state police spokesman said this type of thing pops up everything three or four months and they are always warning residents not to respond to the callers or give out personal information. "Our phone numbers come up as blocked when we call a resident," the spokesperson said. The department realized they had been "spoofed" again w…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges A former housing official in Massachusetts has been convicted in connection with a $2.3 million fraud scheme. Worcester County resident Jacklyn Sutcivni, age 47, of Dracut, was convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Wednesday, Aug. 4.  The district attorney's office said Sutcivni used her position as an employee of the City of Worcester’s Housing Development Office and Executive Office of Economic Development for the scheme.  S…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops
Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops Police agencies in Western Massachusetts are cautioning that opportunistic fraudsters have been running a scam using “spoofed” phone numbers to pose as cops. The Northampton Police Department issued an alert following reports from city residents that they have been receiving calls from (413) 587-1100, the department’s non-emergency number. According to investigators, the scammers pose as police and claim that there has been an identify theft, or an outstanding warrant, and the only way to clear up the issue was to pay through gift cards exchanged over the phone. “The number is able to show…

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by Zak Failla