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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…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
'Heartless And Despicable': NJ Broker Who Scammed $3.7M From Gold Star Families Sentenced 'Heartless And Despicable': NJ Broker Who Scammed $3.7M From Gold Star Families Sentenced
'Heartless And Despicable': NJ Broker Who Scammed $3.7M From Gold Star Families Sentenced A former Army financial counselor from Colts Neck will spend more than a decade in prison after admitting to scamming Gold Star families out of more than $3 million, authorities said. Caz Craffy, 42, was sentenced on Wednesday, Aug. 21 to 12 years and seven months in prison, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He pleaded guilty to 10 charges on Tuesday, Apr. 16. Craffy, who's also known as "Carz Craffey," had been a major in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2003. His Army affiliation was terminated in January 2023, according to military records. Ac…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Notorious Vehicle ‘Broker’ Surrenders After Wyckoff Buyer Loses $12,000 In Scam: Police Notorious Vehicle ‘Broker’ Surrenders After Wyckoff Buyer Loses $12,000 In Scam: Police
Notorious Vehicle ‘Broker’ Surrenders After Wyckoff Buyer Loses $12,000 In Scam: Police A Wyckoff resident became the latest victim of a notorious scammer from Totowa who this time pocketed $12,000 for an Audi A5 that was never delivered, authorities said. Police in Wayne had arrested vehicle broker Anthony Antoniello, 38, early last month for keeping $27,900 toward a car he didn’t deliver, then bouncing a refund check. Daily Voice published a story about the arrest on March 5. SEE: Scammer Jailed After Collecting $27,000 For Car He Never Delivered: Wayne PD The following day, Wyckoff police were contacted by one of their residents. Detective Sgt. Michael Ragucci learned t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Scammer Tried Stealing $20K From Elderly Couple In South Jersey: Police Scammer Tried Stealing $20K From Elderly Couple In South Jersey: Police
Scammer Tried Stealing $20K From Elderly Couple In South Jersey: Police A Jersey City man was accused of trying to scam an elderly Atlantic County couple out of $20,000, authorities said. Vamshihar Katikreddy, 25, was arrested on Tuesday, Apr. 2, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department said in a news release. He was charged with theft by deception, impersonation of a law enforcement officer, and conspiracy. Egg Harbor Township police responded to a home in the Harbor Woods neighborhood at around 5 p.m. after a woman reported her parents in their 80s were scammed out of $20,000. The scammer claimed to be from the FBI and he was coming to their home t…

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by Chris Spiker
News
NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole
NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole UPDATE: A South Jersey man who concocted a GoFundMe scheme with his then-girlfriend that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran is headed to federal prison. Mark D’Amico, 42, formerly of Bordentown, must serve just about all of his plea-bargained 27-month sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. He also must pay restitution and undergo gambling, drug and mental-health counseling under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden on Friday, April 1. Three years of supervision will als…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, COVID-19 IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, COVID-19
IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, Covid-19 ALERT: No sooner did the second round of stimulus checks start going out than a new wave of scams began, authorities said. With COVID-19 still rampant and tax filing season near, thieves have been busy tricking honest Americans out of their hard-earned money, warned Michael Montanez, the special agent in charge of the IRS – Criminal Investigation Field Office in Newark. Aiming to protect them, Montanez assembled information to help New Jersey taxpayers protect their finances and not “fall victim to criminals looking to take advantage of them.” Look out for: Text messages asking taxpayers…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
BEWARE: Coronavirus Scammers Calling, Texting, Emailing, Visiting Victims BEWARE: Coronavirus Scammers Calling, Texting, Emailing, Visiting Victims
Beware: Coronavirus Scammers Calling, Texting, Emailing, Visiting Victims As if there wasn’t enough to worry about: Authorities are warning New Jereyans to beware of coronavirus scams. Stay alert and be wary of any call, text, email or stranger at your door, state Attorney Gurbir S. Grewal and officials with the state Division of Consumer Affairs said. Among their warnings: Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aren’t going door-to-door for any reason, so be sure not to let anyone in who claims to be from the CDC and make sure you call police immediately; There are countless in-store or online advertisements for products that claim…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
BUSTED! Trio Nabbed Trying To Collect Cash In Grandparent Phone Scam, Bergen Prosecutor Says BUSTED! Trio Nabbed Trying To Collect Cash In Grandparent Phone Scam, Bergen Prosecutor Says
Busted! Trio Nabbed Trying To Collect Cash In Grandparent Phone Scam, Bergen Prosecutor Says A trio of thieves who nearly conned a Bergen County woman into believing she had to pay them $8,400 to get her grandson out of jail were busted when they showed up to collect the money, authorities said. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said his detectives began stalking the crew last month, after the infamous “grandparent scam” victimized several elderly citizens. “Dozens of elderly victims in Bergen County and throughout the state of New Jersey were contacted by a male caller who stated that the elderly victim’s grandchild had been arrested on a number of criminal charges and needed …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Franklin police are warning the public of a recent phone and mail scam. Several residents have reported receiving a phone call or letter stating that they’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, but in order to collect the prize, victims are directed to send money to pay for fees and taxes.  "These types of scams typically direct the victim to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card," Franklin police said. Scammers have also been known to send a realistic-looking check in the mail, which is ultimately found to be fraudulent.&nbs…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
'Relative In Trouble': 80-Something Glen Rock Victim Sends Scammers $12,000 Cash 'Relative In Trouble': 80-Something Glen Rock Victim Sends Scammers $12,000 Cash
'Relative In Trouble': 80-Something Glen Rock Victim Sends Scammers $12,000 Cash A Glen Rock woman in her 80s wrapped $12,000 in cash and sent it to phone scammers who convinced her that a relative in trouble needed it, authorities said. One of the scammers called the victim claiming to be the relative and then put an accomplice posing as an attorney on the phone, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said Monday. The “attorney” told the victim that the relative was in jail and needed the cash sent by UPS to an address in Memphis, TN, Ackermann said. Last Tuesday, the woman sent the package, which UPS tracking confirmed was delivered to the Memphis address shortly before 10 a.m.…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton warned citizens again Tuesday about a phone scam by thieves impersonating department officers. The scammers are “spoofing” his office's general number, then posing as sheriff's officers threatening unsuspecting victims with arrest for what they say are outstanding summonses for failing to appear in court, he said. One scammer previously claimed to be with a "Division of Warrants and Citations" -- not an official title under the sheriff's command. “The Bergen County Sheriff's Office, IRS, Social Security, or any other legitimate business or governm…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
SCAMMED: Alec Baldwin Outraged After Bogus Tour Guide Sold Him Bus Tickets To New Jersey SCAMMED: Alec Baldwin Outraged After Bogus Tour Guide Sold Him Bus Tickets To New Jersey
Scammed: Alec Baldwin Outraged After Bogus Tour Guide Sold Him Bus Tickets To New Jersey Stars: They're just like you. They get scammed, too. What Alec Baldwin thought were five tickets for the Statue of Liberty ended up being for a New Jersey-bound shuttle bus. The enraged "30 Rock" star warned others of the bogus Lady Liberty tour guides that he and his family fell victim to on Monday. Baldwin paid the guide $40 a piece for a boat tour of the island, he said in an Instagram post. "Tours R US," the ticket read. "See NY from the water." But then, right after purchasing them, Baldwin and his family were escorted to a shuttle bus headed for Liberty Park, in Jersey City. "NO O…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton warned citizens about a recent phone scam by thieves impersonating department officers. Cureton's office has received several recent complaints about callers posing as sheriff's officers threatening targeted victims with arrest for what they say are outstanding summonses for failing to appear in court, the sheriff said Monday. The caller claim to be with a “Division of Warrants and Citations," he said. “While the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for issuing warrants, the office does not have a ‘Division of Warrants and Citations,’ " Cureto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Clifton PD: Detectives Nab 'Grandson In Trouble' Scammer Who Cost Elderly Couple $17,000 Clifton PD: Detectives Nab 'Grandson In Trouble' Scammer Who Cost Elderly Couple $17,000
Clifton PD: Detectives Nab 'Grandson In Trouble' Scammer Who Cost Elderly Couple $17,000 An elderly couple was conned out of $17,000 by a Jersey City man who used the “grandson in trouble” scam to get them to send the money to a vacant Clifton address, said authorities who arrested him. Eliezer Velasquez, 21, may have had accomplices, Clifton Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said Thursday. The victims, who live in Maine, received a call last Thursday from someone posing as their grandson claiming that he’d been arrested and needed bail money immediately, Bracken said. Complying with his directions, they sent $8,500 via FedEx to the unoccupied Clifton home – then got another call a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Prospect Park PD: Clifton Con Artist Scams Elderly NY Man Out Of $8,000 Prospect Park PD: Clifton Con Artist Scams Elderly NY Man Out Of $8,000
Prospect Park PD: Clifton Con Artist Scams Elderly NY Man Out Of $8,000 Prospect Park detectives pulled off a rare feat, capturing a Clifton man who they said conned a 72-year-old man out of $8,000 by claiming the victim’s nephew was in trouble. Pretending to be the nephew, 22-year-old Juan Gil-Delao called the New York State victim, told him that he’d been arrested on DWI charges and said he needed money for an attorney, Capt. Ammen Matari said. The victim followed his instructions, sending $8,000 in cash via FedEx overnight to a Prospect Park address, Matari said. Most thieves involved in such scams ordinarily operate out of the country to avoid detection an…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Neighbors
What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From
What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From Hundreds of Allendale residents recently joined tens of thousands of fellow Americans nationwide in reporting an item delivered through Amazon that they didn't order – in this instance, an iPhone screen protector. “Tossed it in the trash,” wrote one of the recipients. “Sketchy.” “I got one to my house and to my office. Neither for phones I have,” another added. “Have been getting them too. Not once, but 3 times already,” another said. “So weird.” Should they be worried? Probably not, experts say. A flood of deliveries of an unordered item is usually part of a scam known as “brushing,” i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
$2,650 Cashier’s Check Scam: ‘Job Recipient’ From Glen Rock Avoids Becoming A Victim $2,650 Cashier’s Check Scam: ‘Job Recipient’ From Glen Rock Avoids Becoming A Victim
$2,650 Cashier’s Check Scam: ‘Job Recipient’ From Glen Rock Avoids Becoming A Victim A Glen Rock man who initially thought he’d gotten a job almost got scammed out of $2,650 -- but wisely had the sense to check it out, authorities said. Others haven’t been so fortunate, each losing thousands of dollars to scammers. But he was sharp enough to not become a victim. After an online interview, the purported job candidate was offered employment and sent various documents and a cashier’s check via FedEx, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said Monday. The check was supposed to pay for equipment that the man supposedly needed for the position, the chief said. If he’d cashed the check, t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
DON'T GET FOOLED: Bogus Ticket Sellers Scamming Concert Fans DON'T GET FOOLED: Bogus Ticket Sellers Scamming Concert Fans
DON'T GET Fooled: Bogus Ticket Sellers Scamming Concert Fans More than a quarter of millennials in a recent survey said they’ve gotten ripped off by bogus concert ticket brokers at an average of well over $200 a pop. And even though they agree it’s a high risk, and amazing 40% say they’d do it again. A staggering one of every three victims say they’ve fallen for such scams at least three different times in the past two years. Barclays Bank quoted the figures while warning music lovers preparing for festival season to be aware of what’s out there. The glut of shows and what appears to be widespread availability of tickets to sold-out events leaves un…

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by Jerry DeMarco