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Scam

Police & Fire
Maryland Man Posing As Credible Contractor Caught Scamming Seniors, Sheriff Says Maryland Man Posing As Credible Contractor Caught Scamming Seniors, Sheriff Says
Maryland Man Posing As Credible Contractor Caught Scamming Seniors, Sheriff Says Detectives in Harford County are warning the public after an unlicensed contractor was arrested for allegedly scamming senior residents in a targeted home improvement scheme. David Anthony Desell, 33, of Bel Air, faces a string of criminal charges after being accused of preying on elderly residents by posing as a credible contractor, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office (HCSO).  Investigators say Desell is not a licensed Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) and lacks insurance, yet presented himself as a legitimate service provider to unsuspecting victims. Desell’s …

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by Zak Failla
News
Baltimore County Scammer Bilked Elderly Man Into $1.1M Gold Bar Scheme In Montgomery County: PD Baltimore County Scammer Bilked Elderly Man Into $1.1M Gold Bar Scheme In Montgomery County: PD
Baltimore County Scammer Bilked Elderly Man Into $1.1M Gold Bar Scheme In Montgomery County: PD A Baltimore County man who ran a $1.1 million government-imposted-related gold bar scheme in Maryland has been arrested, according to police in Montgomery County. Vipul J. Thakkar, 52, of Owings Mills, was taken into custody on Wednesday, July 24 after his 74-year-old victim alerted the authorities about a possible scammer who had been targeting him. According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, earlier this month, a Bethesda man contacted them to advise he believed he had been scammed after seeing local news reports of a woman being bilked out of nearly $1 million in a simi…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff A couple of New Yorkers tried to pull a fast one on a woman in Maryland, but were ultimately apprehended after getting greedy and attempting to go to the well one too many times.  The Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised this week about a scam involving a pair who had been collecting large amounts of cash from a Hagerstown woman, prompting an investigation that led to the arrests of Jinghai Fang and Binbin Ge. In late March, investigators say that the woman received a notification on her tablet that one of her accounts had been hacked, so she called the supplied number and fo…

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by Zak Failla
News
Financial Advisor Stole Elderly Client's $1M Life Savings In 'Heartless' Maryland Scheme: Feds Financial Advisor Stole Elderly Client's $1M Life Savings In 'Heartless' Maryland Scheme: Feds
Financial Advisor Stole Elderly Client's $1M Life Savings In 'Heartless' Maryland Scheme: Feds The financial advisor in Maryland who stole the American Dream from a man who tirelessly worked his entire life to enjoy his retirement is facing decades in prison after admitting to stealing his life savings during a long-ranging scam. Eddy Blizzard, 45, of Perry Hall, pleaded guilty this week in connection to a bank fraud scheme in which he embezzled upwards of $1 million from an elderly client's retirement account. Blizzard, who worked for a bank securities and bank investment security companies in Maryland for years, targeted a lifelong resident, "R.M.," who attended school through the …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Maryland Man Admits To Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap Maryland Man Admits To Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap
Maryland Man Admits To Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap The owner of a New Jersey-based scrap metal company told a customer that dirt and debris found packed into a container shipped to Korea that was supposed to hold aluminum scrap was a mistake, authorities said. Turns out it wasn’t. Creed White, 64, of Freeland, Maryland, admitted in federal court in Camden, NJ, this week that he scammed a dozen or so businesses out of more than $2 million, authorities said on Thursday, Aug. 3. Using the name “Dan Stein,” White contacted one of the victims through an Internet message board on behalf of his Camden-based company American Scrap company, a compl…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers
Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers Maryland residents are being advised to be on high alert following a recent rash of fraudsters posing as police. An alert was issued by Maryland State Police over the weekend warning residents to be aware of possible phone scam fraud attempts by police impersonators. Officials say that they've received multiple reports from several residents throughout the state who advised that they'd been contacted by people claiming to be either state troopers or police officers in an attempt to scam victims out of cash or personal information. According to police, the poser tells possible victims that …

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by Zak Failla
News
Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma
Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma GOTCHA! Two gutless 20-year-olds from the Bronx thought they'd conned a Woodcliff Lake woman out of $6,000 with the "grandson in trouble" scam -- only they ended up being the ones who got punked. A caller claiming to be her grandson told the intended victim that he'd been arrested and needed bail money, WCL Police Lt. Chad Malloy said. The caller gave the grandmother the name and number of someone who he said was an attorney. That person would come to her house and collect the $6,000 from her, then bring it to court to secure his release, he told her. Grandma knew better, though. She went …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
FACT CHECK: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers? FACT CHECK: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers?
Fact Check: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers? Despite what someone you know might have shared, carjackers aren't going around shoving empty plastic bottles between motorists' tires and wheel wells as a distraction. Next month marks four years since the mythical "warning" emerged out of Africa and worked its way around the globe. The idea, it's said, is you'll hear the sound of the bottle being crushed and get out of your car to investigate. At that point, the carjacker robs you of your ride. The bogus alert begins: "PLEASE READ Police warn: if you find a plastic bottle near your car, you may be in danger." You won't and you're not, a…

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by Jerry DeMarco