Tag:

Identity theft

Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams As the holiday shopping season begins, the IRS reminds everyone that it’s not just your credit card balance you need to watch — it’s also your personal information. As part of its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a rise in holiday scams.  The scammers aren’t interested in gifts under your tree; they’re after your Social Security number and financial information instead. Here’s how scammers are getting creative—and how you can stay safe: Phishing Emails: Be wary of emails pretending to be from reputable retailers, shipping companie…
NJ Package Thief Told Cops He Specialized In Packages Delivered To Wrong Address: Authorities NJ Package Thief Told Cops He Specialized In Packages Delivered To Wrong Address: Authorities
NJ Package Thief Told Cops He Specialized In Packages Delivered To Wrong Address: Authorities A 31-year-old Irvington mas was arrested and charged on Tuesday, Oct. 8 with concocting a scheme to steal almost $2,500 in packages from a home in Hasbrouck Heights, authorities said. Officers were called to a home on the 400 block of Burton Avenue on a report of a man attempting to intercept packages, Hasbrouck Heights police said. Ryan Rawls told officers he worked for a company that was a Verizon authorized dealer and worked in a division specializing in packages that had been delivered to the wrong address, police said. Police said his story was "well-rehearsed" and possessed …
New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG
New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG A 70-year-old former mayoral candidate town previously accused of election fraud is facing new charges, New Jersey authorities announced Friday, Aug. 23. An indictment returned against Plainfield's former mayoral candidate Dr. Henrilynn Ibezim charges him with tampering with witnesses and informants and trafficking in personal identifying information pertaining to another person, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Ibezim had previously been accused of trying to submit hundreds of bogus voter registration applications to Union County's election officials, and th…
Man Busted Again For Using Fake ID To Open Bank Account: Warren County Prosecutor Man Busted Again For Using Fake ID To Open Bank Account: Warren County Prosecutor
Man Busted Again For Using Fake ID To Open Bank Account: Warren County Prosecutor A 52-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested for the second time in recent days, this time in Warren County, once again a fake ID to open a bank account, authorities said. On Tuesday, July 30, at 11:39 a.m., Greenwich Township Police responded to the TD Bank on Route 22 for a report of a man, later identified as Luis Godoy, using a fraudulent information to obtain a TD Bank credit card, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said. Godoy was identified as the suspect, arrested, and charged with forgery, presenting a fake New Jersey drivers license, and impersonating another person, authorities sai…
Brooklyn Man Used Fraudulent ID To Open Bank Account: Denville PD Brooklyn Man Used Fraudulent ID To Open Bank Account: Denville PD
Brooklyn Man Used Fraudulent ID To Open Bank Account: Denville PD A 52-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested and charged on Friday, Aug. 2, after he used a fraudulent ID to open a bank account in Denville back in January, authorities said. On Tuesday, Jan. 30, officers responded to report of an identity theft incident at TD Bank at 298 East Main St, Denville police said. An investigation determined Luis Godoy opened a bank account using a fraudulent ID and bank card in order to obtain funds from a person's account,  police said. Godoy has been linked to numerous identity theft investigations throughout New Jersey, police said. Officers said they were ab…
UPDATE: NJ Man, 72, Admits Posing As Dead Guy To Collect Social Security, Medicaid For 14 Years UPDATE: NJ Man, 72, Admits Posing As Dead Guy To Collect Social Security, Medicaid For 14 Years
Update: NJ Man, 72, Admits Posing As Dead Guy To Collect Social Security, Medicaid For 14 Years A 72-year-old South Jersey resident admitted that he assumed a dead man's identity to collect more than $200,000 in Social Security payments and Medicaid benefits for 14 years. Dennis Gaudette of Franklinville was 57 years old when U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said he began the long-running con in March 2009. It continued until he was caught last year, the U.S. attorney said. Gaudette collected $43,464 in Social Security Retirement Income Benefits and $85,332.50 in Supplemental Security that he wasn't entitled to, Sellinger said. During the same time period, the state of Ne…
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A once-prominent New Jersey lawyer must spend the next 4½ years in federal prison for swindling a family he represented out of $2 million -- and then, while on pre-trial release, impersonating another attorney in applying for a loan. The family had retained James R. Lisa, 68, of Jersey City, to gather millions that had been moved into offshore bank accounts by relatives decades ago and to resolve any tax issues that arose as a result, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Soon after being retained, Lisa moved more than $6 million back into the United States but told the famil…
Ex-Cons Who Tried To Shake Down Wayne Burglary Victim Caught With Guns: Police Ex-Cons Who Tried To Shake Down Wayne Burglary Victim Caught With Guns: Police
Ex-Cons Who Tried To Shake Down Wayne Burglary Victim Caught With Guns: Police Two ex-cons who demanded $1,000 for the return of a passport and Social Security card that were stolen from a Wayne home were found carrying a gun, a high-capacity magazine and the pilfered documents, authorities said. The victimized Chopin Drive resident kept one of the visitors talking after they suddenly showed up at his home and tried to shake him down early last week, Wayne Police Detective Capt. Dan Daly said on Monday, Feb. 26. Meanwhile, a relative called police. Officers Harrison Kirby and David Beltran got there instantly. They found Newark residents Wahid Floyd, 29, and Alquadir…
Elderly Bergen Couple's Trusted Personal Assistant Stole $2.9M Of Their Money, Feds Charge Elderly Bergen Couple's Trusted Personal Assistant Stole $2.9M Of Their Money, Feds Charge
Elderly Bergen Couple's Trusted Personal Assistant Stole $2.9M Of Their Money, Feds Charge An elderly Bergen County couple had $2.9 million stolen by a now-former Ridgewood Public Library tech administrator whom they'd hired to be a part-time assistant at their home, federal authorities said following his arrest. Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, was responsible for managing the victims’ monthly bills, handling their banking and helping them with email and other issues involving technology after being hired in 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. The couple trusted Gallo with their personal bank accounts, credit card accounts, online retail accounts and email, the U.S. at…
George Santos Is Out: Here's How NJ Delegates Voted George Santos Is Out: Here's How NJ Delegates Voted
George Santos Is Out: Here's How NJ Delegates Voted New Jersey's congressional delegation all shared the same sentiment when it comes to Rep. George Santos. They wanted him out, and they got it. The serial fabulist (R-Long Island) was expelled by the US House 311-114, with all 12 New Jersey representatives, including three Republicans, voting in favor of his ouster. The resolution required a two-thirds majority vote in order to pass. Santos was expelled amid mounting accusations of criminality. He is only the sixth member of Congress to be expelled in American history. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) and Ch…
Case Of Stolen Identity Takes Twisted Turn For Atlantic City Heroin, Coke Dealer: Police Case Of Stolen Identity Takes Twisted Turn For Atlantic City Heroin, Coke Dealer: Police
Case Of Stolen Identity Takes Twisted Turn For Atlantic City Heroin, Coke Dealer: Police Natasha Miller apparently chose the wrong identity to steal. The 34-year-old Atlantic City woman presented police with the identification of a relative, who had several warrants out for her arrest — along with a suspended driver's license — during a traffic stop on North Missouri Avenue around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 12, city police said. Thinking Miller was the relative whom she was pretending to be, Miller was arrested based on the warrants.  Police then found 132 individual bags of heroin, more than 50 grams of cocaine, and more than $2,600 in cash, in Miller's possession. It …
Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole
Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole UPDATE: A member of a crew that fished more than $100,000 worth of checks from mailboxes in Bergen, Hudson and Morris counties is headed to federal prison for more than two years. Brando Mancebopujols, 24, will have to serve just about all of the plea-bargained 27-month sentence because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Mancebopujols, formerly of Paterson, admitted that he and his associates pocketed the money by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they controlled, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. As many as 40 postal boxes had been broken into…
BUSTED: Repeat Offender Got Car Loan Using Hillsdale Resident's Stolen ID, Police Charge BUSTED: Repeat Offender Got Car Loan Using Hillsdale Resident's Stolen ID, Police Charge
Busted: Repeat Offender Got Car Loan Using Hillsdale Resident's Stolen ID, Police Charge A repeat offender used a Hillsdale resident's stolen identification to get himself a car loan, among other expenditures, authorities said. Taheim J. Hart, 26, of Staten Island was arrested in Newark this past January for using a driver's license bearing the victim's name and information, Hillsdale Police Sgt. Travis Woods said. Hillsdale detectives investigating the theft of the resident's identity tied Hart to the car loan, obtained in North Carolina, among other expenses, the sergeant said. A warrant was issued for Hart, who was arrested in New York for a probation violation, Woods said.…
Pair Found With Dozens Of Fake Licenses And Bank Cards, ID Theft Instructions On Rt. 46: Police Pair Found With Dozens Of Fake Licenses And Bank Cards, ID Theft Instructions On Rt. 46: Police
Pair Found With Dozens Of Fake Licenses And Bank Cards, ID Theft Instructions On Rt. 46: Police Two people police say may be involved in a “nationwide criminal enterprise” were found with dozens of bogus driver’s licenses and bank cards, as well as instructions on carrying out identity theft, during what began as a routine traffic stop on Route 46. Roxbury Township Police Sgt. Gaffey stopped Miranda Nwadeyi, 48, of California, and John Anderson, 37, of New York, on the highway in Ledgewood around 11 p.m. Thursday, July 27, Chief Adone said in a Monday release. The pair provided conflicting information to officers during questioning, leading to a search of their vehicle, which turned u…
Car Full Of Fools Gold Lands NJ Man Trip To Fed Pen — Then Back To India Car Full Of Fools Gold Lands NJ Man Trip To Fed Pen — Then Back To India
Car Full Of Fools Gold Lands NJ Man Trip To Fed Pen — Then Back To India A New Jersey scammer whose eyes were bigger than his brain when he tried to rob an Athol woman of more than $300,000 was sentenced on Wednesday, May 24, to a year in prison, after which he'll be deported back to India authorities said.  Gaurang Contractor, 38, a citizen of India living in Jersey City, NJ, tried to trick a Central Massachusetts woman into believing he was a DEA agent and she needed to convert her life savings into gold and give it to him for safekeeping, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Contractor contacted the woman in August 2022 using the alias of "Oscar…
'SOS' Button Ripped From Stolen BMW, Occupants Busted With Heroin At NJ Motel: Police 'SOS' Button Ripped From Stolen BMW, Occupants Busted With Heroin At NJ Motel: Police
'SOS' Button Ripped From Stolen BMW, Occupants Busted With Heroin At NJ Motel: Police A trio in stolen BMW with heavy tints and the "SOS" button ripped from the ceiling had outstanding warrants and heroin, authorities said. Officers in the Secaucus Police Department's Anti-Crime Unit were patrolling near the Rodeway Inn Motel on Route 3, around 9:05 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, when they noticed a 2021 BMW 540i pull into the parking lot, Police Chief Dennis Miller said. Verly Antenor, 21, of Roselle Park, was behind the wheel, police said. He got out of the car and went into the motel for a few minutes, and then left with Arthur Garlick and Laura Probst, Miller said. The tr…
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits The former live-in boyfriend of a Newark woman who's been missing more than five years accessed her personal information and within days began embezzling benefit payments meant for her disabled son, federal authorities charged. Asmar Earp, a 37-year-old ex-con with an extensive criminal record, first changed the pin code on the benefits debit card belonging to Venika Williams less than a week after she was reported missing in December 2017, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A few months later, he used Williams's name, date of birth and Social Security number to receive …
Raid At New Teaneck Apartment Complex Yields Arrests Of Couple, NYC Murder Suspect From PA Raid At New Teaneck Apartment Complex Yields Arrests Of Couple, NYC Murder Suspect From PA
Raid At New Teaneck Apartment Complex Yields Arrests Of Couple, NYC Murder Suspect From PA A Teaneck couple was arrested along with a Pennsylvania ex-con wanted in connection with a New York City homicide during a raid of the pair’s swanky apartment, authorities said. Rickey D. Richardson, 56, and Taisha Tamika Bramwell, 39, were seized following the SWAT-led operation late last week at the recently opened One500 luxury complex on Teaneck Road, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. They were later released pending court action, records show. Also arrested following the Feb. 23 raid was the target of the raid, Ron Reeder, 54, of Windber, PA, who’s being held in the Bergen C…
Jersey Shore Cyberthief Swipes $300,000 From Bergen Retiree's Account: It Happens A Lot Jersey Shore Cyberthief Swipes $300,000 From Bergen Retiree's Account: It Happens A Lot
Jersey Shore Cyberthief Swipes $300,000 From Bergen Retiree's Account: It Happens A Lot An unemployed cyberthief from the Jersey Shore swiped more than $300,000 from an elderly Lodi resident’s retirement account after stealing the victim’s identity, authorities charged. Joseph Bilotta, 65, hijacked the online account, along with others in New Jersey and Maryland, “to fund his lifestyle,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Lodi police notified members of the prosecutor’s Financial Crimes Unit of the account takeover scheme in 2021, Musella said. They arrested Bilotta on theft charges following an investigation and sent him to the Bergen County Jail only to have a judg…
5 Nabbed With 144 Checks, 20 Money Orders, Credit/Debit Cards In Various Names: Cliffside PD 5 Nabbed With 144 Checks, 20 Money Orders, Credit/Debit Cards In Various Names: Cliffside PD
5 Nabbed With 144 Checks, 20 Money Orders, Credit/Debit Cards In Various Names: Cliffside PD Five men stopped by a Cliffside Park police officer had more than 160 checks and money orders made out to dozens of different people, along with various credit, debit and Social Security cards in other people's names, authorities said. Officer Julio Perez found the driver and passengers "evasive and not truthful" during last week's noontime stop in the 500 block of Anderson Avenue, Deputy Police Chief Vincent Capano said on Monday, Jan. 30. One of them, Leroy Chance Williams, 27, of Hackensack, is known to police, having been arrested dozens of times in North Jersey for drug-related crimes …
Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved' Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved'
Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved' After losing her life savings to an internet romance scam, one Pennsylvania senior is speaking out to protect others from falling victim.  Kate Kleinert of Glenolden had been widowed for 12 years and had stopped looking for love when she received a Facebook friend request in August 2020, she wrote to a US Senate committee last year.  The man said he was a doctor named Tony Richard, and quickly struck up a friendship with Kate based on mutual interests, she said.  "We started talking on the phone through an app he had me download," Kate told Senators. "He told me he was …
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You A boy named Andrew Bucklandon hasn't gone missing. He didn't leave for school and not return. He doesn't even exist. For those who've seen -- or, worse, shared -- the Facebook post about a purportedly missing boy the past couple of days, here are a few questions: Does the post include a town? A link? Contact details? It doesn't. Because it's bogus. Like any good phishing scam, the missing boy ploy tugs at the heartstrings and plays on the fears of those who want to help. They're actually helping the scammers find more victims. Phishers threw their latest line into social media waters on…
Ex-Con From Viral Jersey Shore Arrest Video Charged With 1,500 Heroin Bags, Pounds Of Pot, More Ex-Con From Viral Jersey Shore Arrest Video Charged With 1,500 Heroin Bags, Pounds Of Pot, More
Ex-Con From Viral Jersey Shore Arrest Video Charged With 1,500 Heroin Bags, Pounds Of Pot, More An ex-con whose Point Pleasant boardwalk arrest became part of a viral video was busted once again on drug charges, this time along with his roommate, authorities said. A SWAT team led a raid on the Grand Street apartment in Garfield that Zakee Murphy, 32, shares with fish tank technician Ryene Perry, 34, landing both in jail on various drug-related counts, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Murphy has been arrested dozens of times in multiple counties over the past decade, records show. This time he's accused of using the Garfield home to stash the drugs along with more than $8,…
Felony ID Theft Charges For NJ Man With 7 Verizon iPads In Lehigh Valley Delivery Scheme: PD Felony ID Theft Charges For NJ Man With 7 Verizon iPads In Lehigh Valley Delivery Scheme: PD
Felony ID Theft Charges For NJ Man With 7 Verizon iPads In Lehigh Valley Delivery Scheme: PD A Passaic County man who was found with seven iPads during a delivery scheme involving a bogus Verizon customer service rep in the Lehigh Valley area was arrested and charged with felony identity theft and several other offenses, authorities said. Officers responding to a fraudulent activity report on the 1800 block of Felicity Lane in Lower Saucon Township met with a victim around 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the department said. The victim told police that she had received a Verizon package in the mail with an Apple IPad Pro that had been fraudulently purchased through her Verizon acc…
GOTCHA! Fugitive Captured By Oakland Police After Getaway Driver Splits GOTCHA! Fugitive Captured By Oakland Police After Getaway Driver Splits
Gotcha! Fugitive Captured By Oakland Police After Getaway Driver Splits A fugitive from New York had just left a Bergen County pharmacy with a bag full of stolen merchandise when he found his getaway driver gone -- and police there instead, authorities said. A UPS driver told Oakland police that both men had approached him on the street a short time earlier. One of them showed him a bogus New Jersey identification card in a failed attempt to collect a package, Capt. Timothy Keenan said. What they didn’t know, Keenan said, was that the UPS “is familiar with the actual residents of that address.” The pair sped off in a black Nissan after he refused their reques…
Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds
Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds A Massachusetts money manager who police arrested last month at Newark International Airport trying to escape prosecution admitted to stealing $3.5 million from his clients, including the entire life savings of an elderly couple, federal authorities said.  Steven Xigoros, 55, pleaded guilty in a Boston court this week to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of filing a false tax return, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Xigoros worked as an accountant, tax preparer, and investment advisor who federal investigators said used th…
Paterson Man Used CT Victim's ID To Buy $47.9K Rolex Watch: Police Paterson Man Used CT Victim's ID To Buy $47.9K Rolex Watch: Police
Paterson Man Used CT Victim's ID To Buy $47.9K Rolex Watch: Police A 55-year-old Paterson man used a Connecticut victim's information to buy himself a $47,905 Rolex watch in New York City, authorities said. Douglas Cantey has been wanted by police since May, when the victim told police he'd gotten a UPS delivery of an empty Rolex watch that he didn't purchase, the Darien Police Department said. The victim then found an unauthorized purchase of $47,905 in his bank statement, police said. A warrant for Cantey's arrest was issued on charges of credit card theft, identity theft and more, authorities said. He was arrested by law enforcement officers from C…
UPDATE: Two Seized By Mahwah Police After Chase Through Ramapo College, Crash UPDATE: Two Seized By Mahwah Police After Chase Through Ramapo College, Crash
Update: Two Seized By Mahwah Police After Chase Through Ramapo College, Crash UPDATE: Two thieves who’d been stealing mail led Mahwah police on a stolen car chase onto the Ramapo College campus before the vehicle struck an officer's cruiser and they were captured, authorities said. Police responding to a suspicious vehicle report at the Rio Vista development off Campgaw Road and Route 202 shortly before 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, spotted the 2021 Honda Civic, which had been reported stolen out of New York City the day before. Detective Sgt. Eric Larsen and Officer Brian Joyce tried to stop the Civic as it pulled onto Campgaw Road, but the driver hit the gas and fle…
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Three U.S. Postal Service workers from New Jersey and New York City masterminded a scheme to buy more than $1.3 million worth of designer clothes and accessories using credit cards that they stole from the mail, federal authorities charged. The items were then sold with the help of an entrepreneur who operated an online shopping site, they said. Nathanael Foucault, Johnathan “Junzie-J” Persaud, and Fabiola “Lady Fab” Mompoint passed the cards to a quintet of shoppers who bought the items at department stores in New Jersey and the city with the stolen credit cards, an indictment returned by …
Authorities Drop Charges After Cybersleuth Proves Ramsey Responder Was Wrongfully Accused Authorities Drop Charges After Cybersleuth Proves Ramsey Responder Was Wrongfully Accused
Authorities Drop Charges After Cybersleuth Proves Ramsey Responder Was Wrongfully Accused A Ramsey volunteer first responder who was wrongfully accused in a child-porn case was vindicated after a private forensic investigator proved his innocence. Charles Gilbride had no idea what was happening when cybercrime detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office raided his home and arrested him early on the morning of Dec. 2, 2021. That’s because he hadn’t done anything wrong. First responders, like many others, found it impossible to believe the 2015 Ramsey High School graduate – who’d been a lieutenant with the all-volunteer Ramsey Rescue Squad – was capable of such crimes. …
Accused ID Thief From Kearny Awaiting Trial Does It Again, North Arlington Police Charge Accused ID Thief From Kearny Awaiting Trial Does It Again, North Arlington Police Charge
Accused ID Thief From Kearny Awaiting Trial Does It Again, North Arlington Police Charge A 20-year-old Kearny man already facing identity theft charges was caught by a North Arlington police officer with various fake driver’s licenses and credit cards, authorities said. Philip Biet was driving a Dodge Charger with no rear lights on Ridge Road when he failed to signal a turn and was stopped on Noel Drive over the weekend, Detective Lt. Michael Horton said. A warrant out of Hudson County turned up, Biet was arrested and the three fraudulent licenses and five credit cards that didn’t belong to him were found during an inventory search, the lieutenant said. Biet was charged in Oct…