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Tuesday, dec 24
Tag:
Social Security Administration
Police & Fire
Social Security Phone Scams On Rise In Westchester: Here's How To Tell
Police in Northern Westchester are warning residents of a scam involving criminals posing as Social Security Administration officials and asking for personal information, which they say is becoming more common. The warning came on Thursday, Aug. 10 from the North Castle Police Department, which said that there has been an uptick in unsolicited calls from people claiming to be from the federal Social Security Administration. According to the department, victims contacted by scammers will be told that they are eligible for an increase in their Social Security checks. Howeve…
Police & Fire
Don't Be Fooled: Westchester County Police Warn Against Fake Phone Call Scam
The Westchester County Police Department is warning of fake phone calls involving scammers posing as officers with the department. The fake calls come from scammers claiming to be a lieutenant with Westchester County Police who suggest that the victim may be in violation of "a new 'federal DNA mandate,'" according to police. The caller will then tell the victim that a warrant has been issued for their arrest but that they can clear the warrant by buying five "MoneyPaks," or prepaid debit cards, from a local store and depositing $500 on each card, police said. Then, t…
Lifestyle
Here's When Social Security Recipients Will See Largest Bump In Benefits In 40 Years
Social Security beneficiaries are about to see their largest increase in benefits in four decades. Starting in 2023, recipients of Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will see their benefits go up by 8.7 percent, according to the Social Security Administration. Approximately 70 million Americans will benefit from the bump, the agency said, with an average increase of more than $140 per month expected. The increase will follow the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is required by federal law and based on the Department of Labor’s C…
News
Bodybuilder Admits To Getting $200K In Disability Pay While Training For Events, NY AG Says
A bodybuilder from New York who fraudulently collected disability benefits was busted after he was caught lifting weights on his wife’s Instagram account. Anthony Ragusa, age 52, formerly of Long Island, admitted to illegally collecting more than $200,000 in benefits from the Social Security Administration, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. He pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court Tuesday, June 14, to one count of second-degree grand larceny, a felony. Ragusa first applied for disability benefits in 2013 after claiming that a fall at work had left him so injured he co…
Police & Fire
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…
Politics
Trump Holdover From Westchester Fired By Biden Says He Won't Leave Post
A Westchester County resident who was serving as the Social Security commissioner after being appointed to the post by former President Donald Trump said he won't leave his post, despite being fired by President Joe Biden. The Washington Post reported that Andrew Saul, who had been working remotely from his home in Katonah, said he was blindsided by his firing. His term was set to end in 2025. Saul's access to agency computers was cut off on Monday, July 12, the day his acting successor, Kilolo Kijakazi, took over, The Washington Post said. Experts told the Post that …
News
NY Green Light Law Allowing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Takes Effect
Thousands of undocumented immigrants living in New York will soon be able to obtain a valid driver’s license now that a new law has taken effect. The Green Light Law, which was signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year, went into effect as of Monday, Dec. 16, allowing upwards of 80,000 people statewide to receive legal New York State driver’s licenses. "The Green Light law is legal and enforceable," New York Attorney General Letitia James said. "We expect all public officials to comply with the law. As the state's chief law enforcement officer, I’ll continue to vigorously …
News
Ex
-nypd
Officer From Area Sentenced For Fraud, Tax Evasion
A former NYPD officer from the area will spend time behind bars for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits over two decades while continuing to work security at a strip club. Gerard Scparta, 54, of Campbell Hall in Orange County, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for obtaining approximately $630,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and underreporting income on his taxes by approximately $268,000. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman noted that while Scparta was obtaining his disability benefits, he earned $1.6 million working as a sec…
Police & Fire
Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info
State agencies in New York are cautioning residents to be wary of the latest scam to hit the area, this one involving opportunistic fraudsters posing as state officials. There has been a rash of reports of scammers spoofing official state phone numbers that will show up on caller IDs. The fraudsters then attempt to ascertain personal information. There have been reports of scammers posing as the New York State Inspector General’s Office, New York State Police, and the Social Security Administration in recent weeks. Several individuals have received phone calls from what appears to be a pri…
News
Police Agencies In Area Warn Of Phone, IRS Scams Making The Rounds
Police agencies in the area are warning area residents to be wary as a new phone scam has been making the rounds in the area. A Mount Kisco woman reported to Westchester County Police investigators that she had been scammed out of $4,000 by a person claiming to be from the IRS late last month. According to the woman, she received a call saying that she was in tax arrears and she proceeded to follow the fraudster’s instructions to purchase gift cards and call back with the numbers associated with them. “Westchester County Police remind residents that the IRS will not contact taxpayers by ph…
News
Police Issue New Social Security Scam Warning
Police in the area are cautioning local residents to be wary of a new phone scam that has been making the rounds. Last week, police officials found that they received multiple calls from area residents who received phone calls threatening to suspend their social security number if cash isn’t paid to the caller. Police noted that social security numbers “do not get suspended. This is just a scam that’s after your SSN, bank account number, or money. Please hang up if anyone calls about your social security number.” In an effort to keep residents safe, police offered a series of tips: …
News
Ex-Cop From Area Admits To Tax Evasion, Fraudulently Obtaining Disability Benefits
A former NYPD detective from the area has admitted to his role in a million dollar disability fraud scheme. Gerard Scparta, a former New York City Police Department officer from Campbell Hall in Orange County, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $630,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and underreporting income on his taxes to the tune of $268,000. Scparta pleaded guilty to lying to the Social Security Administration about his disability, and falsely represented that he was unable to work due to his disability. While he was collecting disabi…
News
Man Charged With Mailing Letters With White Powder To Federal Offices In NY, CT
An area man has been arrested for mailing letters with white powder along with a note implying the substance was Anthrax to federal offices in New York and Connecticut. Jason Pantone, 34, of Hyde Park, was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 27, and appeared in court in Albany on Thursday on charges of conveying false information and hoax, said the U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith. Pantone is accused of using the U.S. mail to send envelopes containing white power to locations in New York and Connecticut. Each envelope contained suspicious white powder and a note indicating, or implying, that the powde…
News
Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says
A consumer alert has been issued about a new phone scam that has already cost tens of thousands of victims millions. Imposters pretending to be from the Social Security Administration call victims and tell a fake story about their Social Security number being compromised in an attempt to obtain personal information, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2018, the scam cost 35,000 victims $10 million. “To compare: in 2017, we heard from 3,200 people about SSA imposter scams, and those people reported losing nearly $210,000,” the FTC said in a statement. Th…
News
Westchester Woman Allegedly Stole $13K In Benefits From Teen's Late Father
A Westchester woman is facing charges for allegedly taking in a former teenage inmate, and illegally claiming Social Security benefits after his father died and the kid quit school and moved out. Hawthorne resident Suzanne Pope, 54, has been charged with grand larceny for stealing more than $13,000 in benefits over several months. The felony complaint alleges that in May 2015, Pope and her husband took in a former county jail inmate who was living in the Children’s Village Sanctuary Shelter upon his release from jail. While the teen lived with the Popes, his father died on Sept. 18, 2015, m…
Lifestyle
Oh, Baby: These Are Most Popular Names For Newborn Boys, Girls In NY
Do you know anyone named Olivia? How about Liam? If the answer now is no, that will soon change. The Social Security Administration released its most popular boy and girl baby names of 2017 in each state on Thursday. In New York, there were 1,227 girls named Olivia, making that name No. 1. For boys, Liam took the top spot, with 1,227 male toddlers born last year now answering to that name. For girls: 10. Emily 9. Abigail 8. Amelia 7. Charlotte 6. Isabella 5. Ava 4. Mia 3. Sophia 2. Emma 1. Olivia For boys: 10. Mason 9. Logan 8. Ethan 7. Matthew 6. Michael 5. Joseph 4. Lucas 3. Jacob 2…
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