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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…
Big League Lie: Man Claimed MLB Career While Scamming Women, Dodging Sex Offender Registry: DOJ
He said he was going pro in baseball — but what he really went pro in was lying, scamming, and disappearing from the sex offender registry, prosecutors in Virginia say.
Now, he's going to prison.
A Roanoke man who told women he was a Major League Baseball prospect, forged six-figure checks, used burner phones to impersonate team officials, and failed to register as a sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year, federal officials announced.
Now, Janike Dunbar Holt — a man who goes by many names — has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison.
Holt, 29 — also known as…
‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
Two New Jersey brothers are accused of running a scam that stole nearly $400,000 from elderly victims in New York and Connecticut, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Monday, Aug. 25.
Abhishek Barvalia, 31, and Tushar Barvalia, 32, of Rutherfo, were indicted on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Gonzalez said. They were released without bail after being arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and are due back Oct. 22.
Prosecutors say the scam ran from June 2023 to January 2024, targeting women ages 76, 78, 83, and 90 i…
Home Improvement Scammer Who Swindled Elderly Glen Rock Victim Out Of $25K In Custody: Cops
A New York man accused of scamming elderly North Jersey residents out of nearly half a million dollars has been caught, authorities said.
At 12:07 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, the NYPD apprehended Abba Cohen, 40, of Flushing, NY, who was wanted out of Glen Rock having previously been arrested and released out of Woodland Park, local officials said Monday, Aug. 18.
In Glen Rock, Cohen was sought on charges of conspiracy to commit theft by deception and receiving stolen property stemming from a January 2024 home improvement scam that cost an elderly resident $25,800, Police Chief Dean A…
Zelle Left Users Open To $1B In Scams, NY AG Says
The operator of Zelle is accused of designing the popular payment app without basic safeguards, allowing scammers to steal more than $1 billion from users.
A lawsuit filed against Early Warning Services, LLC (EWS) by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office Wednesday, Aug. 13, alleges the company failed to protect users from scams.
EWS operates Zelle and is owned by a consortium of some of the country’s largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, and Wells Fargo.
According to the complaint, EWS launched Zelle in 2017 without critical safeguards, making it …
Sex Offender Faked MLB Career, Scammed Women, Skipped Registry In Virginia: DOJ
He said he was going pro in baseball — but what he really went pro in was lying, scamming, and disappearing from the sex offender registry, prosecutors in Virginia say.
A Roanoke man who told women he was a Major League Baseball prospect, forged six-figure checks, used burner phones to impersonate team officials, and failed to register as a sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court as part of an elaborate scheme, federal officials announced.
He went by many names while executing his scheme.
Janike Dunbar Holt, 29 — also known as “Nike,” “Janike Tagovailoa,” “Keanu Tagovailoa,” and “…
Fake Cops, Real Crimes: Paterson Crew Busted In $190K Bergen County Bail Scam: Prosecutor
Three Paterson residents have been arrested in connection with a phony bail bond scam that swindled nearly $190,000 from unsuspecting victims across Bergen County, authorities announced.
Yasen R. Delgado, 26; Ahjainay N. Gawthney, 27; and Delareese Delgado, 31, were taken into custody on Thursday, Feb. 27, following a multi-agency investigation, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The suspects are accused of posing as law enforcement officers and bail bondsmen, calling victims and threatening them with arrest warrants for missing court dates or jury duty. Victims were told to hand o…
