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Scam

Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…
Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning
Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning An elderly woman in Worcester County was nearly out more than $20,000 after a scam artist tried to prey on her vulnerabilities.  The woman called Blackstone police on Friday, June 28, after she became suspicious that the man was trying to steal from her.  She told investigators that she received a message that she believed was from her bank that said her account was compromised. She called the number on the message, and the person who answered said she needed to remove as much money as possible to "reclaim" her account, Blackstone police said.  He told her to meet with a "sp…
Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds
Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds The only thing the kids who signed up for MB Sports Camps learned about baseball was how to steal — but not bases.  Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Fla., was convicted last week after a six-day trial of two counts of wire fraud, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He was accused of stealing $380,000 from 303 families across the state and country and a $191,000 advance from an online payment company.  Belhassan ran the annual MB Sports Camps. In 2019, however, he collected parents' money like usual, but this time, ran away with it to pay for plastic surgery and "extravagant…
Scammer Sunk By Car Full Of Fools Gold In Central Mass Headed To Prison Then Deportation Scammer Sunk By Car Full Of Fools Gold In Central Mass Headed To Prison Then Deportation
Scammer Sunk By Car Full Of Fools Gold In Central Mass Headed To Prison Then Deportation A New Jersey scammer whose eyes were bigger than his brain when he tried to rob an Athol woman of more than $300,000 was sentenced on Wednesday, May 24, to a year in prison, after which he'll be deported, authorities said.  Gaurang Contractor, 38, a citizen of India living in Jersey City, NJ, tried to trick a Central Massachusetts woman into believing he was a DEA agent and she needed to convert her life savings into gold and give it to him for safekeeping, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Contractor contacted the woman in August 2022 using the alias of "Oscar White," a Dr…
Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges
Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges A paving contractor who allegedly stole over $78,000 from customers, including the disabled and elderly, has been indicted for a laundry list of criminal charges, according to court documents. William Pusateri, owner of Priority 1 Paving in Dedham, was arraigned on 23 charges including larceny from disabled persons over 60 years old on Tuesday, Jan. 3, according to Middlesex Superior Court documents.  Pusateri, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, scammed customers from 2020 to May 2022 by taking deposits or payments in full for services that he never completed or only completed basi…
Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds
Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds A Jersey City, NJ, man posing as a DEA agent attempted to scam an Athol woman out of more than $330,000 in a complicated grift involving non-existent drug dealers and a car loaded down with fake gold in a Texas Roadhouse parking lot, federal authorities said.  Gaurang Contractor, 38, an Indian national, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the charge of wire fraud, the US Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Dec. 9.  Investigators said Contractor contacted the woman in August and claimed to be a DEA agent named Oscar White. He told her that she was implicated…
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Cybersecurity experts have reported an increase in phishing scam text messages, according to a new report from CNET. Josh Yavor, the chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Tessian, told the news outlet he has seen a recent increase in scammers using text messages for phishing, where they attempt to steal peoples' personal information by pretending to be reputable organizations. CNET also said a report from enterprise security company Proofpoint found that incidents SMS phishing increased by 24 percent in the United States last year. The Federal Trade Commission reporte…
Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region
Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region Don’t fall for it. Law enforcement agencies in the region are cautioning area residents to be aware of a scam involving individuals who have been spoofing police department numbers and demanding cash. In Hartford County, the Enfield Police Department issued an alert following multiple instances of fraudsters spoofing their number in an attempt to rob unaware area residents. “Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source,” department officials said. “If you ever doubt the legitimacy of someone identifying themselves as (poli…
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Two Connecticut men are facing larceny charges for their alleged attempt to scam a Westchester County woman out of thousands of dollars. Kylo Simons and Rayshawn McFarlane, both of Hartford, were each charged with third-degree larceny, according to the Irvington Police Department. The 77-year-old Irvington woman was contacted by an individual who identified herself as the attorney for the woman's grandson, police said.  The caller reportedly said she had the ability to facilitate a bail transaction of $9,800 for the fake arrest. The victim was then contacted by the same cal…
Massachusetts State Police Issue Alert For New Parking Meter Scam Massachusetts State Police Issue Alert For New Parking Meter Scam
Massachusetts State Police Issue Alert For New Parking Meter Scam Massachusetts State Police issued an alert to residents about a new scam involving parking meters.  A number of police departments in the nation have reported that fraudulent QR code stickers have been placed on parking meters, claiming that the QR code is a "quick pay" option, state police said on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Beware of a new scam using QR codes on Parking Meters. See the attached bulletin for more information pic.twitter.com/BDPyQRFjT8 — Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) January 12, 2022 This phishing scam brings people to a fake website, where scammers steal the payment in…
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…
Police Issue Alert For Eversource Scam Making Rounds In Region Police Issue Alert For Eversource Scam Making Rounds In Region
Police Issue Alert For Eversource Scam Making Rounds In Region Alarm bells are sounding for some police departments in the region as reports continue coming about an ongoing scam involving fraudsters posing as Eversource utility workers. In Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Police Department issued an alert for an ongoing scam involving multiple victims who have received phone calls from scammers claiming to be from Eversource. During the phone call, the scammers would proceed to inform their victims that they owed money and their electricity would be shut off if they didn’t pay immediately. In response, the victims were then directed to a bitcoi…
Eversource Warns Of Scammer Going Door-To-Door In Region Eversource Warns Of Scammer Going Door-To-Door In Region
Eversource Warns Of Scammer Going Door-To-Door In Region Eversource is cautioning its customers throughout the region to be wary of a scammer who has been spotted making the rounds going door-to-door to gain personal information. A warning was issued by Eversource this week after a fraudster was seen going from home to home in Hampden County, asking to see bills and account information in an attempt to scam residents in Springfield. The Springfield Consumer Information and Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office said that the scammer has largely been targeting the Hungry Hill area, knocking on random doors, alleging to be an Eversource Electric …
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…
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…
Police In Western Mass Issue Warning For Fake Contest Police In Western Mass Issue Warning For Fake Contest
Police In Western Mass Issue Warning For Fake Contest Police in Western Massachusetts are cautioning of a new scam involving a phony contest that has been making the rounds in the region. The Chicopee Police Department issued an alert warning of a fake Chicopee Forum that has been messaging people advising that they’ve won a contest that doesn’t exist in an effort to ascertain personal identifying information. Police said that area residents have been receiving private messages on social media and through other means regarding the faux contest, stating that they’ve won a prize in the fake contest. According to police, residents should “alwa…
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers Local law enforcement agencies are cautioning area residents to be wary following recent reports of opportunistic fraudsters posing as Amazon employees over the phone to gain access to personal information. Officials said that con artists have been posing as Amazon employees claiming to need verification about their account or that something is wrong with an order, allowing them to attempt stealing their victims’ identities. According to police, once a call is answered, a recorded message will claim to be from Amazon stating there is a problem with their account. Messages included claims …
COVID-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards COVID-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards
Covid-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards The FBI has launched a probe into the discovery of phony COVID-19 vaccination cards that are being sold by fraudsters online and through social media, threatening the progress America has. been making in combating the virus. FBI investigators and other federal officials are looking into the fake COVID-19 cards that are supposed to be administered by healthcare providers before one receives a first dose of the vaccine, but have instead been making the rounds online. Officials said that since there’s no way to authenticate vaccination cards, it's even easier for scammers to create their own, …
Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online
Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online While all eyes are on COVID-19, a different type of “virus scam” has been making the rounds. Law enforcement officials issued a warning of a new scam involving hackers who attempt to dupe people on the Internet who are browsing the web. According to police, those who have been victimized unexpectedly got a “virus alert” on their desktop designed to look as if it came from Microsoft that took over the entire browser page. The victim then called “Microsoft” at the 800-641-7676 number provided on the browser window, at which point the scammer said that the user probably had a virus and would …
Police Issue Warning On New Utility Worker/DPW Scam Police Issue Warning On New Utility Worker/DPW Scam
Police Issue Warning On New Utility Worker/DPW Scam A new scam in which thieves pose as electric workers to enter victims' homes has popped up in the area. On Friday, Nov. 6, Worcester Police alerted residents that scammers posing as utility workers or department of public work employees have been reported in the area knocking on doors and attempting to gain access via trickery. Police said that on Monday, Nov. 2, they received a report that three men posing as utility workers and DPW crew told homeowners that they needed to enter the dwelling to check on pipes. After the men left, residents noticed money and jewelry had been stolen, police …
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Con artists are calling and emailing Amazon users and attempting to obtain their log in information and credit card number by posing as Amazon employees.  According to the Better Business Bureau, victims are met with a recorded message claiming to be from Amazon, notifying them of problems with their Amazon account ranging from supposed fraudulent charges on Amazon Prime cards to damaged packages to unfulfilled orders that the victim never placed.  The callers are reportedly using phone numbers of reputable organizations--like the Better Business Bureau--to lend them credibility. …
To Avoid Jail, Worcester Scammer Makes A Run For US-Canada Border To Avoid Jail, Worcester Scammer Makes A Run For US-Canada Border
To Avoid Jail, Worcester Scammer Makes A Run For Us-canada Border A Worcester man who scammed families out of more than $880,000 made a run to the Candian border to avoid his jail sentence but was foiled by the Mounties. Ashokkumar “Andy” Patel, formerly of Worcester and Plainville, was sentenced in September to 40 months in prison for his role in an international scheme that used high-pressure communications claiming to be from the IRS to squeeze people for money. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Patel was apprehended by the Candian Royal Mounted Police who found him diving into a border ditch in a blueberry field near Washington State, according to the Worcester …
Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam
Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam Police are warning of a new scam involving instances of fraud stemming from screen-sharing software that gives scammers access to personal computers and smartphones. The scams that involve remote access software being used to target devices, one of which was recently used on an area resident. Police said that a fraudster posing as a customer care executive from Amazon advised the victim that a “fraud alert” has been placed on their account. The victim acknowledged that they had an Amazon account but did not have the Amazon app on their phone. The fraudster took this opportunity to direct…