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Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn
Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn A new scam is targeting people with a fake email and officials are urging the public to stay vigilant. The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued the warning about fraudulent emails impersonating the agency.  These emails, which carry the subject line “Claim Benefits!”, falsely claim that recipients must apply for their 2025 Social Security benefits through a provided link. How Scam Works The scam email appears to come from SSA and directs users to a fake website disguised to look like SSA’s official page. However, clicking on the link l…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an urgent warning about a widespread text message scam designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. Known as “smishing” (SMS phishing), the scam involves fraudulent texts impersonating toll and package delivery services to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data. According to cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, cybercriminals have registered over 10,000 fraudulent domains as part of this operation, targeting at least 11 states and one Canadian province. Key…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Child Sex Abuse Sting Operation In Rockland County Leads To Arrest: DA Child Sex Abuse Sting Operation In Rockland County Leads To Arrest: DA
Child Sex Abuse Sting Operation In Rockland County Leads To Arrest: DA A sting operation by the Rockland County District Attorney's Office led to the arrest of a Queens man caught in the trap. Jose Quizhpi, age 48, was indicted on Tuesday, Jan. 14, by a Rockland County grand jury on eight counts of attempted disseminating indecent materials, two counts of attempted rape, and other charges. Scott Waters, spokesman for the Rockland District Attorney's Office, said that between Nov. 5 and 17, 2024, Quizhpi exchanged numerous text messages, photographs, and videos, which were sexually explicit in nature, with a girl who he met online and whom he bel…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say A New York brother currently serving time in federal prison and sister are facing federal charges for an elaborate cyberstalking and extortion scheme involving explicit images and a fraudulent life insurance plot, federal authorities announced. Fred Mastroianni, of White Plains, and Doreen Mastroianni, of Yorktown Heights, have been charged with cyberstalking, extortion, and conspiracy to commit extortion, according to an indictment unsealed by federal officials. The pair allegedly targeted "Victim-1" by threatening to release sexually explicit photos and videos unless the victim complied w…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says
Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says Police in the region are warning of an automated sex extortion scam that is targeting residents through emails. Undersheriff Eric Chaboy of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said that scammers are acquiring emails and personal information on the so-called “Dark Web” and feeding it into what appears to be an artificial intelligence (AI) program that automatically contacts potential victims. Earlier report - Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know According to Chaboty, the program claims in an email that the victim has been looking at pornogra…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years
Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years A former middle school guidance counselor in the region confessed to repeatedly taking sexually explicit photos of a child beginning when the victim was just 9 years old. Albany County resident Kristy Koldis, age 46, of Latham, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in Albany federal court on Monday, June 3. Koldis, a former counselor at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School in Albany and professor at Russell Sage College in Troy, admitted that she repeatedly took sexually explicit content depicting the victim’s genitals. The abuse continued until the child was 13. Earli…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old Charged In Hudson Valley Sex Crimes Case 19-Year-Old Charged In Hudson Valley Sex Crimes Case
19-Year-Old Charged In Hudson Valley Sex Crimes Case A 19-year-old man has been charged with allegedly inducing a child under 17 to perform sexual acts in the Hudson Valley. Daniel N. Montesdeoca, age 19, of New York City, was arrested on Thursday, April 11, in connection with a recent investigation into the sexual performance of a child. Montesdeoca was taken into custody after a month-long investigation by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.  At this time, he is accused of inducing a child less than 17 years old to perform sexual acts over the Internet, said Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Offi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police
NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police A 33-year-old New York man was arrested by New Jersey State Police after paying a woman to have sex with her 12-year-old daughter, authorities said. New Jersey State Police began investigating Ulster County resident Alexander Boyd in January after he was soliciting children for sex on the internet, New Paltz Police, where Boyd lives, said. Boyd made plans with a woman to purchase her 12-year-old daughter for sex, police said. Once they settled on a price, Boyd traveled to New Jersey, booked a hotel room, and waited for the woman and her daughter, police said. He was located and taken i…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
State Police Warn Parents Amid Investigation Of Teens Being Sexually Targeted Online State Police Warn Parents Amid Investigation Of Teens Being Sexually Targeted Online
State Police Warn Parents Amid Investigation Of Teens Being Sexually Targeted Online Predators in New York have been utilizing social media to bilk teen victims into sending sexually explicit photos that are then used to blackmail parents, police are cautioning. An alert was issued by New York State Police following multiple cases of teens being targeted by criminals while online, including one incident that led to a teenager committing suicide. Police said that the suspects have been locating teen victims on social media, where they befriend them and gain their trust. Once trust is established, investigators said that the suspects ask for photos or video of the teen, “usua…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Person Posing As Student Posts Lewd Photos At Area School's Zoom Meeting Person Posing As Student Posts Lewd Photos At Area School's Zoom Meeting
Person Posing As Student Posts Lewd Photos At Area School's Zoom Meeting A teacher in the Hudson Valley received an unexpected and unwanted visitor when a “Zoom-bomber” crashed her virtual class and displayed inappropriate images with students. The Highland Central School District in Ulster County issued a report following the incident involving the middle school, where someone logged into a Zoom class posing as a student and displayed lewd images on their computer screen. Highland Schools Superintendent Thomas Bongiovi said that once the teacher was made aware of the mischief, the person was removed from the Zoom immediately.  It is believed the person - …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: FBI Issues Alert For Fake Hiring Scams Targeting Individuals, Businesses COVID-19: FBI Issues Alert For Fake Hiring Scams Targeting Individuals, Businesses
Covid-19: FBI Issues Alert For Fake Hiring Scams Targeting Individuals, Businesses With millions of Americans looking for work or working from home due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the FBI has seen an uptick in fake job and hiring scams from opportunistic cybercriminals. Fraudsters have been leveraging their purported positions as faux “employers” to persuade victims into believing they had a new job in an effort to steal their personal information or to get them to send money. According to the FBI, “fake job scams have existed for a long time but technology has made this scam easier and more lucrative. Cybercriminals now pose as legitimate employers by spo…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: School Closings Lead To Increased Risk Of Child Exploitation, FBI Warns COVID-19: School Closings Lead To Increased Risk Of Child Exploitation, FBI Warns
Covid-19: School Closings Lead To Increased Risk Of Child Exploitation, FBI Warns Due to school closings as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), children will most likely be spending more time online, which could put them at an increased position for exploitation, the FBI warns. Online sexual exploitation comes in many forms. Individuals may coerce victims into providing sexually explicit images or videos of themselves, often in compliance with offenders’ threats to post the images publicly or send the images to victims’ friends and family, the FBI said. Other offenders may make casual contact with children online, gain their trust, and introduce sexual conversa…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Hudson Valley Man Admits To Possessing, Trading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images Hudson Valley Man Admits To Possessing, Trading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images
Hudson Valley Man Admits To Possessing, Trading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images A 24-year-old Hudson Valley man will face up to 20 years in prison after admitting to trading hundreds of videos and photos that included child pornography. Clintondale resident Corey Baker pleaded guilty this week to distributing and receiving child pornography over the course of more than a year. As part of his guilty plea, Baker admitted that between June 2017 and August 2018, he traded child pornography with others using a phone and laptop computer equipped with Internet-based instant messaging and file-sharing applications. Baker also admitted to using a peer-to-peer file-sharing app…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website Men from Connecticut and New York are among those charged in the takedown of the largest Darknet child pornography website. Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted this week for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child exploitation market by volume of content, officials said. Son has also been charged and convicted in South Korea and is currently in custody serving his sentence in South Korea.   An additional 337 site users residing in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jers…

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by Zak Failla