Tag:

Fraud

Man Claiming To Be Walmart Worker Scams Long Island Woman Out Of $20K: Police Man Claiming To Be Walmart Worker Scams Long Island Woman Out Of $20K: Police
Man Claiming To Be Walmart Worker Scams Long Island Woman Out Of $20K: Police A phone call claiming to protect a Long Island resident's savings ended in a $20,000 scam, according to authorities. The victim, a 69-year-old New Hyde Park woman, received the call from an unknown man who falsely identified himself as a Walmart employee, according to Nassau County Police. The man advised the victim that there was fraudulent activity on her account and that the victim’s Social Security number was compromised.  The victim was then instructed to move her money out of her bank account to protect it. On Monday, September 9, the victim withdrew $20,000 and met with …
Ex-Huntington Town Worker Admits Stealing $56K Of Deceased Mother's Pension Funds Ex-Huntington Town Worker Admits Stealing $56K Of Deceased Mother's Pension Funds
Ex-Huntington Town Worker Admits Stealing $56K Of Deceased Mother's Pension Funds A former town employee on Long Island confessed to stealing thousands of dollars from his deceased mother’s pension funds. Moses Johnson, age 63, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Prosecutors said Johnson’s mother died in April 2021 and he never notified the bank or the New York State and Local Retirement System of her death. Between April 2021 and June 2022, he collected a total of 15 unauthorized payments totaling $56,411. The stolen funds were traced from Johnson’s mother’s bank account into his bank account. Johnson worked for …
Ex-Stony Brook Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time Ex-Stony Brook Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time
Ex-Stony Brook Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time A former New York attorney is heading to prison after confessing that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients. Former Long Island resident Douglas Valente, age 57, now of Florida, was sentenced to between one and four years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Aug. 22. Prosecutors said Valente, the former principal attorney at the Valente Law Group in Stony Brook, stole more than $800,000 from three former clients by taking money from his escrow account. Earlier Report: Former NY Attorney Stole Nearly $1M From Clients, DA Says Among the victims was a cl…
Ousted LI Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Ousted LI Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case
Ousted LI Rep. George Santos Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Former Republican Congressman George Santos admitted to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a federal court on Monday, Aug. 19, authorities announced.  The 36-year-old former inhabitant of New York's 3rd Congressional District seat on Long Island was facing 23 felonies, and a trial set to begin next month.  A federal judge will sentence Santos on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said. According to federal sentencing guidelines, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year minimum sentence.&n…
'Trusted' Unlicensed Contractors Defrauded Long Island Homeowners, Police Say 'Trusted' Unlicensed Contractors Defrauded Long Island Homeowners, Police Say
'Trusted' Unlicensed Contractors Defrauded Long Island Homeowners, Police Say They were hired to make repairs but ended up scamming Long Island homeowners instead, police allege. Nassau County Police arrested two men on suspicion of fraud and related charges Monday, July 22, for allegedly posing as construction contractors in order to con homeowners. Investigators said David Young, age 31, of Philadelphia, and Adam Turner, age 25, who is homeless, targeted elderly homeowners and offered to perform construction services through their unlicensed company, “Top Line Masonry.” The two then defrauded victims by falsely reporting damage that wasn’t there or by causing more…
$47K Scam: 1 Arrested, 2 At Large Following Long Island Scheme $47K Scam: 1 Arrested, 2 At Large Following Long Island Scheme
$47K Scam: 1 Arrested, 2 At Large Following Long Island Scheme One man has been nabbed for his alleged role in scamming a Long Island resident out of tens of thousands of dollars, leaving two other suspects at large, police announced. The Elmont scheme began at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 24. According to Nassau County Police, a 77-year-old man was using his computer at his Elmont home when we received a pop-up message asking him to call a certain phone number. He called the number and spoke to someone who claimed to be from the Federal Reserve. The scammer told him to withdraw all of the money in his bank account pending an investigation. The man comp…
Long Island Imposter 'Lawyer' Steals Thousands From Criminal Defendants, Feds Say Long Island Imposter 'Lawyer' Steals Thousands From Criminal Defendants, Feds Say
Long Island Imposter 'Lawyer' Steals Thousands From Criminal Defendants, Feds Say He had neither the qualifications nor the intentions to defend them, but a Long Island man successfully conned criminal defendants out of thousands of dollars, federal prosecutors allege. Christopher Reese, age 56, of East Meadow, was indicted on wire fraud and related charges by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York on Monday, June 24. According to prosecutors, Reese spent years falsely claiming to be a “legal assistant” or “paralegal” in order to con federal criminal defendants and their families out of thousands of dollars. Working without supervision from a licensed…
Scam Alert: Real Estate Fraudsters Targeting Vacant Properties On Long Island Scam Alert: Real Estate Fraudsters Targeting Vacant Properties On Long Island
Scam Alert: Real Estate Fraudsters Targeting Vacant Properties On Long Island Police are warning of an uptick in real estate scammers who are targeting vacant properties on Long Island. Southampton Town Police put real estate agencies on notice that they’ve seen an increase in criminals posing as property owners who seek representation in negotiating the sale of lien-free, vacant land. The scammers can successfully defraud a potential buyer by accepting funds that are transferred to an out-of-town account. Police warned real estate agents to watch for the following warning signs from potential clients who claim to be out of state: Listing the property below market…
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say $185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say Three New York men have been charged in connection with a $185 million fraud scheme involving over a thousand investors, federal authorities announced. The three are Long Island resident Mario Gogliormella, age 47, of Manhasset; and New York City residents Steven Lacaj, age 27, of Manhattan, and Karim Ibrahim, age 34, of Queens, also known as “Chris Hayes." “By allegedly raising approximately $185 million from over 1,400 investors, Mario Gogliormella, Steven Lacaj, and Karim Ibrahim left a trail of shattered trust and financial ruin," US Attorney for the Southern Distric…
Nissan Dealers Fined $350K For 'Junk Fees' Levied On Long Island Lease Customers Nissan Dealers Fined $350K For 'Junk Fees' Levied On Long Island Lease Customers
Nissan Dealers Fined $350K For 'Junk Fees' Levied On Long Island Lease Customers If you purchased a Nissan vehicle on Long Island, you may have some cash coming your way. Two Nissan dealerships in Amityville and Patchogue have agreed to pay over $350,000 for charging customers “junk fees” when they purchased their leased vehicles. An investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office found that South Shore Nissan, in Amityville on Sunrise Highway, and Route 112 Nissan, in Patchogue on Medford Avenue, for years added unnecessary fees or falsified the price of leased vehicles that consumers bought when their lease ended. Route 112 Nissan was also found to have…
Know Him? Police Ask For Public's Help Locating Wanted Southampton Suspect Know Him? Police Ask For Public's Help Locating Wanted Southampton Suspect
Know Him? Police Ask For Public's Help Locating Wanted Southampton Suspect Do you recognize him? New York State Police on Long Island are asking for the public’s help in identifying the man in the images above. At approximately 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, troopers from the Riverside barracks responded to Shinnecock Hardware located in the town of Southampton for reports of a fraudulent purchase.  An unknown individual, described as a heavy-set Black man about 6-foot-2, entered the store and fraudulently purchased items totaling around $475. New York State Police Anyone who recognizes this individual is asked to contact state police at 631-756-3300. All…
$45K Scam: Florida Man Nabbed For Long Island Scheme, Police Say $45K Scam: Florida Man Nabbed For Long Island Scheme, Police Say
$45K Scam: Florida Man Nabbed For Long Island Scheme, Police Say A Florida man has been arrested after pretending to be a credit union representative and attempting to steal tens of thousands of dollars from a local woman who had already been scammed. The alleged scam occurred on Tuesday, May 28, according to Nassau County Police. At approximately 8 a.m. that day, a Hicksville woman received a call from someone claiming to be a fraud department representative with the Nassau Federal Credit Union. He told the woman that her bank account had been compromised and that she needed to withdraw $45,000 in order to keep the money safe. However, the woman h…
NY Resident Loses $341K In 'Pig Butchering' Scheme: Here's What It Is NY Resident Loses $341K In 'Pig Butchering' Scheme: Here's What It Is
NY Resident Loses $341K In 'Pig Butchering' Scheme: Here's What It Is The US Secret Service has seized a web domain used in a cryptocurrency confidence crime scheme known as “pig butchering” after a New York resident was swindled out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to federal authorities, scammers in pig butchering schemes encounter victims in various ways, including on dating applications, social media websites, and even random text messages masquerading as the wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency.  Vict…