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$700K Gold, Bitcoin Theft: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Scams Elderly PA Man, DA Says $700K Gold, Bitcoin Theft: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Scams Elderly PA Man, DA Says
$700K Gold, Bitcoin Theft: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Scams Elderly PA Man, DA Says A slick con artist posing as a PayPal agent scammed a 74-year-old Pennsylvania man out of nearly $700,000 in gold and cryptocurrency, authorities revealed on Friday, Feb. 28. Hirtik Hemchand Khatri, 24, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, allegedly orchestrated a high-stakes fraud that convinced the victim to empty his savings, fearing he’d be arrested if he didn’t comply, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks said. Khatri, who twice showed up at the victim’s home in a Mercedes-Benz to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in gol…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
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
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
'Don't Fall For It,' Hackettstown Police Warn After Elderly Woman Scammed Out Of $2.2K 'Don't Fall For It,' Hackettstown Police Warn After Elderly Woman Scammed Out Of $2.2K
'Don't Fall For It,' Hackettstown Police Warn After Elderly Woman Scammed Out Of $2.2K Hackettstown police are warning the public of scammers after an elderly woman apparently lost more than $2,000 to one. The 82-year-old victim got an email that she believed was from Apple Inc., in reference to a charge on her account from a game she purchased Sept. 2, local police said. The victim never purchased a game, so she called the company and spoke to a woman regarding the alleged charge. The woman instructed the victim to go to a nearby store and purchase Apple gift cards, while remaining on the phone.  And so, the victim left for the store. When she got there, there weren't…

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by Cecilia Levine
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: Morris County Sheriff Warns Of Increased COVID-19 Phone Scams Targeting Senior Citizens BEWARE: Morris County Sheriff Warns Of Increased COVID-19 Phone Scams Targeting Senior Citizens
Beware: Morris County Sheriff Warns Of Increased Covid-19 Phone Scams Targeting Senior Citizens An increased number of senior citizens throughout Morris County have been targets of a range of telephone scams involving schemes such as bail money, car accident funds and most recently, COVID-19, officials said. Many county residents have lost thousands of dollars from such scams in recent weeks, County Sheriff James M. Gannon said in a release. Scammers have been preying on victims’ fear of COVID-19 by showing up to their homes dressed in protective gear to collect funds, according to the Morris County Sheriff’s Trends and Analysis Team (MCSTAT), which analyzes crime trends aro…

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by Valerie Musson
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
News
Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator
Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator Step by Step, Hackettstown police are working through a "New Kids on the Block" phone scam, most recently having charged a Warren County victim as a perpetrator.  Cynthia Salvadore, 42, of Mansfield, said she got a phone call from someone claiming to be Jordan Knight of the popular 1980s boy band, NorthJersey.com reports. The caller told Salvadore that he wanted to send her a $2,700 check to cash for her to donate to a charity in Nigeria, the report says. Salvadore then cashed the check at Anderson Cash Checking, deposited $2,000 into a bank account and then bought $700 worth of gift …

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by Cecilia Levine
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