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Federal Trade Commission

Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG
Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Cameo, message site that allows you or someone you care about to receive a video message from a range of celebrities, admitted to violating Federal Trade Commission endorsement guidelines, Matthew Platkin, the New Jersey Attorney General said. The website, features a diverse group of celebrities like former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, British politician Nigel Farange and legendary professional wrestler Mick Foley, reached a settlement with the state after it alleged Cameo failed to provide appropriate disclosures to consumers purchasing these personalized videos for business or product endors…
SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000
Sextortion: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 A fugitive from Maryland charged with sextorting a New Jersey senior out of $20,000 online after getting him to take compromising selfies was immediately freed by a judge after surrendering to police. Posing as a woman, Ali H. Maman, 59, of Frederick, MD, communicated with an elderly Glen Rock resident through Instagram and WhatsApp, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The victim was convinced to share the risqué photos, then was contacted by someone else who demanded a $20,000 bank wire transfer in exchange for not posting them online, Ackermann said. The victim wired the money last July to…
'Your Computer Has Been Hacked': Tech Support Scam Costs Bergen Man $150,000 'Your Computer Has Been Hacked': Tech Support Scam Costs Bergen Man $150,000
'Your Computer Has Been Hacked': Tech Support Scam Costs Bergen Man $150,000 It might be emotionally painful for some to learn that a Bergen County man lost nearly $150,000 to a “your computer has been hacked” scam. Sadly, it’s true. The victim got a computer popup message “alerting” him to the purported hack earlier this month, Glen Rock Police Lt. Frank Riggio said. “Over the following days, he was advised to secure a large sum of money from his bank accounts to avoid further hacking,” the lieutenant said. The victim gave the con artist nearly 150 large "under the false pretense that this party was helping protect the victim from further financial hacking," Rigg…
They Steal Your Heart, Then Steal Your Money: Romance Scammers Make It Look Easy They Steal Your Heart, Then Steal Your Money: Romance Scammers Make It Look Easy
They Steal Your Heart, Then Steal Your Money: Romance Scammers Make It Look Easy It's heartbreaking to discover that someone you've become enamored with online isn't into you, but it’s even worse to realize that person just made off with $3,500 of your money. That’s what happened to a Glen Rock resident who ended up wiring the dough to a sweet talker in the Dominican Republic. Suffice to say: It wasn’t coming back. Although $3,500 is a significant sum to some, it’s couch cushion change compared with the $450,000 in crypto lost last year by another romance scam victim from Glen Rock. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a staggering $1.3 BILLION was lost by 70,000…
GRANDPARENT SCAM: Rochelle Park PD Nabs Bronx Man After Elderly Victim Is Conned Out Of $7,800 GRANDPARENT SCAM: Rochelle Park PD Nabs Bronx Man After Elderly Victim Is Conned Out Of $7,800
Grandparent Scam: Rochelle Park PD Nabs Bronx Man After Elderly Victim Is Conned Out Of $7,800 Rochelle Park police nabbed a phone scammer from the Bronx who convinced an elderly victim to mail $7,800 in cash that he said was needed to bail out his just-arrested grandson, authorities said. Posing as a police officer, a caller told the 80-something Washington State resident that his grandson had been arrested, Detective Lt. James DePreta said. The caller said his son needed $16,800 for bail, then directed him to mail $7,800 to a Rochelle Park address, DePreta said. Believing it was real, the victim sent the money, the lieutenant said. He eventually realized it was a scam and called…
NJ, NY, Feds Shut Down Sham Charity Operation That Scammed Donors Out Of Tens Of Millions NJ, NY, Feds Shut Down Sham Charity Operation That Scammed Donors Out Of Tens Of Millions
NJ, NY, Feds Shut Down Sham Charity Operation That Scammed Donors Out Of Tens Of Millions Kind-hearted donors in New Jersey and New York were scammed out of tens of millions of dollars by a telephone soliciting operation that claimed to raise money for homeless veterans, retired and disabled law enforcement officers, breast cancer survivors and others in need, authorities said Wednesday. A joint lawsuit filed by the state of New Jersey, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of New York, Minnesota and Virginia has permanently shut down the operation headed by Mark Gelvan, a telemarketing consultant who'd been banned for life from raising funds for charity more th…
Authorities: Garfield PD Nabs Man Who Scammed Upstate NY Grandma Out Of Nearly $12,800 Authorities: Garfield PD Nabs Man Who Scammed Upstate NY Grandma Out Of Nearly $12,800
Authorities: Garfield PD Nabs Man Who Scammed Upstate NY Grandma Out Of Nearly $12,800 An elderly New York State woman was conned out of $7,000 in a grandparent scam -- and nearly lost $5,800 more before Garfield police grabbed a Paterson man as he collected the second payment, authorities said. Jose A. Torres-Dejesus, 27, called the victim on Friday claiming to be her grandson, Detective Capt. Richard Uram said. Torres-Dejesus told the woman he’d been involved in a DUI crash and needed money, Uram said. He then gave her a phone number, saying it was his attorney, the captain said. The woman called the number and a man who answered said she had overnight $7,000 in cash to a…
COVID-19 SCAM ALERT: Contact Tracer Or Con Artist? Here's How To Tell COVID-19 SCAM ALERT: Contact Tracer Or Con Artist? Here's How To Tell
Covid-19 Scam ALERT: Contact Tracer Or Con Artist? Here's How To Tell In case you haven’t already heard, identity thieves have been texting people pretending to be coronavirus contact tracers in order to steal their money. Contact tracers are hired by public health departments to get hold of people who’ve had close contact with those who've tested positive for COVID-19. The goal is to warn those people to self-quarantine, and monitor their systems daily, in case they may have been infected themselves. Contract tracing has helped curb the spread of COVID-19. But, as with any public emergency, it’s also become a popular tool for scammers looking to take y…
Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For
Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For Federal authorities said they've gotten help from domain providers and others in smashing hundreds of online sites exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit fraud and other crimes. As of Tuesday, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) had received and reviewed more than 3,600 complaints related to COVID-19 scams, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Many of them “operated from websites that advertised fake vaccines and cures, operated fraudulent charity drives, delivered malware, or hosted various other types of scams,” federal officials said in a release. To attract traffic, t…