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Avoid Scams: These Are Top 10 Consumer Frauds Of 2023, NY AG Says
To honor National Consumer Protection Week, New York Attorney General Letitia James has revealed the most common fraud complaints faced by residents during 2023.
In an announcement on Monday, March 4, James said that these common complaints ranged from price gouging of much-needed goods and services to housing issues, online banking fraud, and even travel-related issues.
The top ten most common consumer complaints of 2023 in New York were:
Retail Sales: (Online purchases, price gouging, retail sales, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores, animal breede…
Fake ICE Agent Sparks Investigation, Police Say
A man was allegedly caught posing as a Customs and Border Protection Officer on Long Island, prompting police to investigate potential fraud.
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Andy Kwok, age 53, was arrested in a Levittown restaurant for pretending to be a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, according to Nassau County Police.
At approximately 11:20 a.m., Kwok, a resident of the hamlet of Delmar in Albany County, was dining at K City Hot Pot and Sushi, located at 3056 Hempstead Turnpike.
He was dressed as a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer, complete with a fraudulent ID car…
Bogus Businessman Charged With $65K Fraud In Orange County
A nearly year-long investigation revealed that a 28-year-old opened a phony business account to steal $65,000, officials in the Hudson Valley say.
In Orange County, 28-year-old Reginald Williams, of Newburgh, was indicted and charged for allegedly stealing $65,000 from a real company on Wednesday, May 3, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.
Williams was arrested and arraigned in the Town of Warwick Justice Court on Wednesday, April 19, after a year-long, multi-agency investigation revealed that Williams, working by himself and with others, opened a …
Hudson Valley Man Receives $19K In Fraudulent Worker's Comp, DA Says
A Verizon Communications employee in the Hudson Valley has been arrested for allegedly filing fraudulent Worker's Compensation claims.
Ulster County resident Jason Vega, age 48, of Marlboro, a hamlet of Marlborough, was arrested in Orange County on Thursday, April 13 in the town of Newburgh.
According to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, between February 2021 and July 2021 in the town of Newburgh, Vega presented medical reports, in support of an application for Workers’ Compensation benefits, which indicated he was unable to perform certain physical functions and movements…
Hudson Valley Man, Partner Sentenced For Roles In $1M Ponzi Scheme
A Westchester County man and his business partner have been sentenced for their roles in a nearly decade-long $1-million Ponzi scheme.
White Plains resident James Doyle, age 74, and Carl Carro, age 61, of Walton, Delaware, were convicted of defrauding investors in New York and throughout the nation.
On Thursday, Jan. 12, Carro was sentenced to four to eight years in prison, and Doyle was sentenced to five years probation, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced.
As part of their respective sentences, Carro and Doyle agreed to pay a total of more than $1 million in judgments …
NY Businesswoman Convicted Of Obstructing IRS, Filing False Tax Returns
A New York businesswoman is facing federal prison time after being convicted of obstructing the IRS and filing false tax returns.
Long Island resident Lorraine Pilitz, age 64, of Merrick, was found guilty on all five counts against her by a federal jury in Central Islip Wednesday, Nov. 9, following a two-week trial.
Federal prosecutors said between 2011 and 2013, Pilitz, who owned several automotive businesses on Long Island, regularly structured cash deposits in a way that allowed her to avoid filing financial reports that are required for all transactions over $10,000.
The scheme resulte…
Former Sales Chief Of NY Mortgage Lender Sentenced For $8.9M Fraud Scheme
The former co-owner and executive at a New York mortgage lender has been sentenced for an $8.9 million fraud scheme, federal authorities announced.
Long Island resident Edward E. Bohm, age 44, of Smithtown, formerly the president of Sales and part-owner of mortgage lender Vanguard Funding, LLC, based in Garden City, was sentenced on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to two years in prison.
Bohm was also ordered to pay $3,488,615.42 in restitution and $1,500,000 in criminal forfeiture.
In February 2019, Bohm pleaded guilty to conspiring to …