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‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say ‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
‘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…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner
Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner A Rochelle Park woman was scammed out of $100,000 by a door-to-door contractor — but police say they got every penny back. The incident began on May 22, when the victim answered an unsolicited knock at her door from a person offering construction, roofing, and pest control services, Rochelle Park Police said in a Tuesday, Aug. 12 release. Police said the man began work on the home, then convinced the victim to complete a wire transfer on her phone, sending the funds to a separate bank account. Detectives identified the business owner registered to the account and recovered all of the victim…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says
Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says Walmart will pay $10 million and change its money transfer practices after federal regulators said the company let scammers steal hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans. Walmart agreed to the payout in a settlement, the Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday, June 20. The agency's three commissioners unanimously approved the final order. The FTC accused the retail giant of allowing fraudsters to misuse its wire transfer services between 2013 and 2018. "Electronic money transfers are one of the most common ways that scammers tell consumers to send them money, be…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says
Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says If you get a call from someone claiming to be the FBI or another government agency and threatens arrest unless you pay up, hang up. Scammers across the country are impersonating federal authorities and spoofing legitimate government phone numbers in a rising wave of fraud, authorities say. Victims are being told they face immediate arrest unless they send money via prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, cash, or cryptocurrency. The threats are fake, but the financial losses are very real. Here’s how the scam works: Caller ID spoofing — Scammers manipulate phone numbers so it looks like the …

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express said it will pay $230 million to resolve federal investigations into deceptive sales tactics and recordkeeping violations involving small business credit card and wire transfer products. The credit card company agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty, the Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The settlement resolved claims against American Express of deceptive marketing and "dummy" account information. American Express was accused of engaging in unlawful sales tactics and falsifying records between 2014 and 2021. "When financial companies …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sounding the alarm on a sophisticated new imposter scheme designed to steal your money and personal information.  These scams are becoming increasingly convincing, but learning to spot the red flags can help you stay protected. How the Scam Works Initial Contact: Scammers pose as representatives from well-known companies, such as Amazon or a tech support service. They’ll claim there’s a routine issue, like suspicious charges on your account, a computer virus, or an account breach. Escalation: The scammers lie, saying your name is tied to serious …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief
Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief An elderly lonely heart from Glen Rock was “sextorted” out of $20,000 after sending compromising photos to a scammer he thought was a woman -- and was about to hand over another 20 grand when his bank mercifully refused, authorities said. Online romance scammer Ali H. Maman, 59, of Frederick, MD (photo above), has so far eluded authorities, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said this week. Posing as a woman, Maman communicated with the Glen Rock senior through Instagram and WhatsApp, the chief said on Wednesday, April 10. The victim was convinced to share the risqué photos, then w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen
Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen A Hackensack woman who stole $2 million from various victims’ bank accounts through an elaborate scheme that included going to their homes is headed to federal prison for more than five years, authorities said Tuesday. Working with others, Alexis Taylor, 32, bought a “significant amount of stolen personal identifying information via the dark web, including bank account information and online security question answers,” Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachel A. Honig said. She then used the information to access victim accounts in New Jersey, New York and elsewhere, Honig said. Taylor a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter
Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter WYCKOFF, N.J. – A terrified Wyckoff woman who thought she’d heard her kidnapped teenage daughter screaming on the other end of a scam phone call was headed to the bank to withdraw $10,000 in ransom money when she came upon a township police officer. It was yet another example, police warned, of how scammers can play on people’s emotions to try and steal their money. The would-be victim heard screams in the background as the caller demanded $10,000 for the safe return of whom she thought was her 14-year-old daughter, Lt. Joseph Soto said. She was on her way to the bank to withdraw the money…

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by Jerry DeMarco