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Federal Trade Commission

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Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
NY Law Requiring Businesses To Warn Customers Of Gift Card Scams Takes Effect NY Law Requiring Businesses To Warn Customers Of Gift Card Scams Takes Effect
NY Law Requiring Businesses To Warn Customers Of Gift Card Scams Takes Effect Leaders in New York have given consumers another tool in their belt to help fend off would-be fraudsters. New legislation that went into effect on Tuesday, June 20, requires businesses that sell gift cards in New York to post a notice warning customers about gift card scams. Notices must be posted near where any gift card or gift certificate is displayed or sold. The law was introduced by Long Island State Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Democrat whose 6th Senate District covers central Nassau County. Thomas chairs the senate’s Consumer Protection Committee. “I am happy to see the Department of St…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee
NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee A New York woman was scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars over the phone. The 85-year-old Long Island resident, of North Hills, was using her computer when she received a prompt to call a phone number, according to Nassau County Police. A man on the other end claimed to be a Microsoft employee and instructed her to go to her bank and transfer $49,000 to another bank account, which she did.  Once the transfer was complete, the man then instructed the victim to send him a copy of her driver’s license and the bank receipt for the transfer, police said. Nassau County Police said …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
'Real Housewives' Star Gets Prison Time For New York-Based Fraud Scheme 'Real Housewives' Star Gets Prison Time For New York-Based Fraud Scheme
'Real Housewives' Star Gets Prison Time For New York-Based Fraud Scheme A former "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star was sentenced to several years in prison for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme based in New York.  Jennifer Shah, age 49, who appeared on the show beginning in 2020, was sentenced to six ½ years in prison on Friday, Jan. 6 for targeting elderly victims in the scheme and defrauding them out of their savings, according to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams.  Beginning in 2012 and lasting until her arrest in March 2021, Shah was the leader of the scheme which ended up victimizi…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For Them: Alert Issued For Student Loan Forgiveness Scams Don't Fall For Them: Alert Issued For Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
Don't Fall For Them: Alert Issued For Student Loan Forgiveness Scams Days after President Biden announced a sweeping plan to forgive thousands of dollars in federal student loans, authorities are warning of scammers preying on those with student debt. Several police agencies around the country are urging people to be on the lookout for “red flags” that may indicate a would-be scammer. Among them are promises to get student borrowers even more money, or claims they can get a borrower their money faster, police said. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put out a statement telling student loan borrowers they don’t need to do anything or pay anybody to sign up f…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
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…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Hudson Valley Man Among Four Charged In $40M Scam Hudson Valley Man Among Four Charged In $40M Scam
Hudson Valley Man Among Four Charged In $40M Scam A Hudson Valley man was among four charged in an 11-count indictment for allegedly stealing more than $40 million in investor funds as part of a cryptocurrency scam, federal authorities announced. On Tuesday, March 8, US Attorney Breon Peace announced that four owners and operators of online cryptocurrency companies - including one from Dutchess County - are facing a host of charges for allegedly running a sophisticated scheme to steal from investors and later attempting to obstruct justice as they were being investigated. Those charged, according to the US Attorney’s Office: Gregory Agg…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment COVID-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment
Covid-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment Federal officials are seeking civil penalties after a tea company allegedly advertised that its product could prevent or treat COVID-19. B4B Earth Tea LLC, B4B Corp., and Andrew Martin Sinclair are accused of violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, according to an announcement on Thursday, March 3, from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The defendants reportedly advertised that the herbal tea product, Earth Tea, could prevent or treat COVID-19, according to a crimi…

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Amazon 'Gig' Drivers Win $61 Million Settlement On Tip-Stealing Complaints Amazon 'Gig' Drivers Win $61 Million Settlement On Tip-Stealing Complaints
Amazon 'Gig' Drivers Win $61 Million Settlement On Tip-Stealing Complaints Amazon has settled accusations that it stole millions of dollars in tips from Amazon Flex Delivery “gig” drivers. Amazon settled the charges and the deal was announced by the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 2. To comply with the settlement, Amazon will have to pay back $61.7 million to drivers, provide only accurate information about tips and pay to both customers and drivers, and get drivers’ consent before changing how it handles tips in the future, the FTC said. The FTC said that mega online-retailer Amazon had kept drivers’ tips for years despite numerous job ads touting th…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
State Police Issue Alert For Pet Scam State Police Issue Alert For Pet Scam
State Police Issue Alert For Pet Scam New York State Police have received multiple calls from people scammed out of hundreds of dollars after answering classified ads for purebred puppies for sale. Victims report after answering the ad, the suspects provide a photo of the breed they are looking for and arrange a deposit to be paid, said Trooper James O’Callaghan. Once the deposit is cleared, the victim is provided an address, which does not exist, to pick up their puppy.  Recently, these fake addresses have been in the St. Lawrence County area. State Police warn the public of some common themes in this scam: The…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Young Hudson Valley Man Falls Victim To Romance Scam, Loses Thousands Young Hudson Valley Man Falls Victim To Romance Scam, Loses Thousands
Young Hudson Valley Man Falls Victim To Romance Scam, Loses Thousands Police are investigating a case where a young man fell victim to a romance scam. The woman in Rockland County told the man she was corresponding with through a dating app she needed some financial assistance with a business matter, Ramapo Police said. The woman said she would mail him a check to deposit into his bank account, and that he needed to mail back a check for a lesser amount – in essence, he was allowed to keep the difference for his trouble.  Days later, his bank contacted him saying that the check he deposited was bogus. He is now out several thousand dollars, Ramapo Polic…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: Police Issue Warning For Vaccine Scams COVID-19: Police Issue Warning For Vaccine Scams
Covid-19: Police Issue Warning For Vaccine Scams With allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine being shipped across the country, some law enforcement agencies are warning of schemers looking to take advantage of vulnerable residents during the pandemic. The Scarsdale Police Department was the latest to issue an alert advising of schemers who have been using the announcement of a COVID-19 vaccine to obtain personal identifying information or cash during scams. Scarsdale Police Chief Andrew Matturo said you may be in the midst of a COVID-19-related scam if: You receive a telephone call, text message, email, or computer pop-up that you did not …

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info Don’t fall for it. Fraudsters have been making the rounds, looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis, posing as contact tracers seeking personal information from suspect victims amid the pandemic. Since the outbreak began six months ago, contact tracing has become a vital tool as health officials seek to identify positive COVID-19 cases, tracing back to the people they’ve been in contact with and isolating them to help curtail the spread of the virus. Recently, some state and federal officials issued a warning that some scammers have been posing as contact tracers, using that faux i…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Alert Issued For Package Text Message Scam Alert Issued For Package Text Message Scam
Alert Issued For Package Text Message Scam A new text messaging scam involving mailed packages that allow fraudsters to gain access to personal information has been making the rounds across the country, federal officials warn. The Federal Trade Commission is among the agencies that have issued an alert after consumers made numerous complaints after receiving a text message saying that a package pending, telling the user to click a link to set up delivery for the item. Once the link is clicked, users will be instructed to provide personal identifying information. Scammers have posed as drivers from FedEx, USPS, UPS, and other deliver…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam COVID-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam Fraudsters posing as contact tracers have been exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to ascertain personal information from residents in the region. Multiple reports of scammers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers have been reported since the pandemic began, prompting officials to issue an alert and provide guidance on how to avoid becoming a victim. Officials said that the imposters claim to work on behalf of local law enforcement or health departments and are required to install contact tracing software onto their victims’ computers. The scammers have threatened fines, asked for personal financi…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says COVID-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says
Covid-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says Some opportunistic fraudsters are taking advantage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis by posing as contact tracers hired by the state to obtain personal information and money. Since the outbreak began, state officials have stressed the importance of ramping up COVID-19 testing, then tracing the people they’ve come into contact with, and isolating those people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “contact tracing, a core disease control measure employed by local and state health department personnel for decades, is a key strategy for preventing further spread…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Department Of Treasury Stimulus Scams COVID-19: Alert Issued For Department Of Treasury Stimulus Scams
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Department Of Treasury Stimulus Scams As more than 80 million Americans have either already received or are awaiting economic stimulus automatic deposits in their bank accounts or checks through the mail,  the Treasury Department is warning of scams associated with the payments. "If you receive calls, emails, or other communications claiming to be from the United States Treasury Department and offering COVID-19 related grants or stimulus payments in exchange for personal financial information, or an advance fee, or charge of any kind, including the purchase of gift cards, do not respond, "the department said. The Federal T…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
FBI Warning That Hackers Can Use Smart TVs To Spy On You Prompts Call For Federal Probe FBI Warning That Hackers Can Use Smart TVs To Spy On You Prompts Call For Federal Probe
FBI Warning That Hackers Can Use Smart TVs To Spy On You Prompts Call For Federal Probe Your smart TV may “see you when you’re sleeping, and knows when you’re awake,” according to officials calling for a federal probe into security and data protection of one of the holiday season’s most popular gifts. The FBI issued a warning that smart TVs, which can connect to the internet and collect data on users, may present a potential security threat since they’re often equipped with features such as microphones and cameras. According to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, TV manufacturers, app developers, and hackers can gain access to critical data that smart TVs collect on users, risking the ex…

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by Zak Failla
News
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Police agencies are issuing warnings of a new Apple scam targeting iPhone users. An alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.” According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone. In Westchester, a Yorktown resident recently re…

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by Zak Failla
News
Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams
Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams Officials are warning of new “smishing” scams that have been making the rounds. The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert cautioning consumers of new scams that have been using text messages, not the traditional emails. One such scam involves the fraudster offering to provide major savings on television services. The scams involve the victims sending back personal information, or infecting devices with malware. According to the Better Business Bureau, this new scheme is called “smishing” which stands for SMS fishing, as opposed to “phishing,” which involves email. “We’re kind of condit…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Imposters Selling English Courses Target Immigrant Community In Westchester Imposters Selling English Courses Target Immigrant Community In Westchester
Imposters Selling English Courses Target Immigrant Community In Westchester An alert has been issued in Westchester warning of opportunistic fraudsters who are targeting Spanish and Hispanic immigrant communities selling high-priced English language courses. The Yonkers Police Department has received information that scammers have been targeting immigrant communities, and if the target of the fraud refuses to pay, they are threatened with false reports to immigration officials if they don’t send along money. Police said that members of the community “are reminded to never engage in financial transactions with unknown people over the telephone, and to simply hang up…

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by Zak Failla
News
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Police agencies are issuing warnings of a new Apple scam that has been making the rounds targeting iPhone users. A new alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.” According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone. In Westchest…

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by Zak Failla
News
There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns
There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns The Federal Trade Commission is warning of a new spin on a well-known scam involving gift cards. You’ve probably heard the stories: a victim receives a call, email or even a text message requesting funds for a seemingly legitimate and worthy cause. The victim is asked to send gift cards or otherwise transfer money to the scammer, who then disappears without a trace. The FTC says scammers are now pretending to be religious officials - pastors, rabbis, priests or bishops - and are asking worshipers for gift card contributions. “Appeals are often made by email, but we’ve heard people are also…

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by Valerie Musson
Lifestyle
Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April
Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April Robocalls continue to be a scourge for New Yorkers, with millions of callers being flooded by calls “at all hours of the day and night.” In April, New Yorkers received 290.3 million robocalls, which is an average of 112 calls per second and 11 calls per New Yorker. In April, there were 176 million robocalls made to numbers in New York City and Long Island, and there have been more than 720 million robocalls reported since the year started, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer. In response, Schumer is backing legislation that would give federal investigators the tools to trace, prosecute and fi…

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by Zak Failla
News
Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General
Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General Facebook isn’t getting any new likes from New York Attorney General Letitia James. James announced on Thursday, April 25 that her office was launching an investigation into Facebook’s unauthorized collection of 1.5 million Facebook users’ email contact databases. According to James, “while Facebook claims that 1.5 million contact databases were directly harvested by its email password verification process for new users, the total number of people whose information was improperly obtained may be hundreds of millions.” “It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers' …

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by Zak Failla
Business
FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims
FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims Health officials are warning consumers of misleading advertisements for products that claim to treat or prevent serious health conditions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they issued warning letters to certain companies. The FTC and FDA said that those companies make unfounded claims that their products can treat or cure Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. Letters were sent to  Gold Crown Natural Products, TEK Naturals, and Pure Nootropics, LLC. They were sent out Tuesday, Feb. 5. “Unfortunately, these products o…

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by Zak Failla
News
Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns
Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns The Federal Trade Commission is warning area residents to be wary of phantom debt collectors after taking down an elaborate group of schemers that stole millions. The FTC announced that they have filed a lawsuit against Global Asset Financial Services Group (GAFS) and 15 other related companies that allegedly operated a fake debt collection scheme. The complaint alleges that employees claimed to be lawyers or affiliated with a law firm in an attempt to collect non-existent debts. The scheme involved GAFS employees in New York and North Carolina calling to collect the faux debt, posing as a …

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by Zak Failla
News
Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns
Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns In the wake of several instances involving stolen mail in the area, officials in Westchester are offering advice to residents to avoid becoming the victim of opportunistic fraudsters.  Last year, police in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains, Tarrytown, Harrison, Purchase, Bronxville, New Rochelle, North Castle and other communities investigated incidents involving mail thefts. The incidents include curbside mailboxes that were broken into or opened with stolen keys or outright stolen. Thieves have also used “fishing” techniques to take mail from mailboxes, and “rural-style” mailboxes …

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says
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…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump
Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump With Thanksgiving weekend and December holiday travel coming, a new warning has been issued about skimming scams at the pump. Skimmers are illegal card readers attached to payment terminals. These card readers grab data off a credit or debit card’s magnetic stripe without your knowledge. Criminals sell the stolen data or use it to buy things online. You won’t know your information has been stolen until you get your statement or an overdraft notice. While your eyes are on the road, scammers' eyes are on your wallet. Here are a few tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help you avoid a s…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Police Caution of Phone Scam Involving Apple Gift Cards Police Caution of Phone Scam Involving Apple Gift Cards
Police Caution of Phone Scam Involving Apple Gift Cards Police are making the public aware involving a scammer posing as a member of the Department of Justice regarding a recent scam that is targeting local residents. The Eastchester Police Department issued an alert recently about a new phone scam making the rounds in the area, following reports from area residents who have been targeted. During the phone calls, police said that the victims were told that the caller was a representative from the Department of Justice, including a false name and badge number. Police said that the caller stated that the victim's social security number had been st…

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by Zak Failla