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Scam

Police & Fire
Driveway Paving Scammers Targeting Residents In Brewster Driveway Paving Scammers Targeting Residents In Brewster
Driveway Paving Scammers Targeting Residents In Brewster Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents to be on the lookout for scammers claiming to be from a paving company.  The Putnam County Sheriff's Office detailed the scam in an announcement on Thursday, Oct. 17, saying that the suspects targeted a resident in Brewster.  According to authorities, two men approached a resident and claimed to be from a paving company that had leftover asphalt from a previous job. The duo arrived in a black, unmarked Ford F-150 pickup truck, a tactic scammers use to "appear professional and legitimate," the Sheriff's Office said. Scammers w…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Roofer Scam In Hudson Valley Sparks Police Warning Roofer Scam In Hudson Valley Sparks Police Warning
Roofer Scam In Hudson Valley Sparks Police Warning Police in the Hudson Valley warn homeowners about a roofer scam in which the scammers demand money upfront and do not return to complete the job. The incidents are happening in Rockland County in the Ramapo area. The Ramapo Police Department is currently investigating a scam in which a person claiming to be a professional roofer knocked on the homeowner's door to notify the owner about damage to their roof.  They offered their services at a reduced cost and then began work. After the job was started, Ramapo Police said they drastically raised the price of repairs and demanded that the…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Putnam Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Putnam
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Putnam Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents to be wary of phone scammers posing as police to demand cash from victims.  The scheme was detailed in an announcement by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Friday, Aug. 23, in which authorities said they had received reports of fraudulent calls to residents in the county.  According to the Sheriff's Office, the caller has been posing as a sergeant from the office and asking for cash for missed jury duty fines.  In their announcement, the office said they would never make such calls or request payments for jury d…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Homeland Security, Targeting Hudson Valley Businesses Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Homeland Security, Targeting Hudson Valley Businesses
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Homeland Security, Targeting Hudson Valley Businesses Authorities are warning those in the Hudson Valley to be wary of callers posing as government agencies and claiming that victims' computers have been compromised.  The scam was detailed in an announcement by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, July 17, in which authorities said that businesses in the area have received calls from entities claiming to be from the United States Department of Homeland Security or other agencies.  The caller will tell victims that their business's computer has been compromised and that they will help clean up malware and investigate …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Parking Ticket Scam: What To Watch For Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Parking Ticket Scam: What To Watch For
Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Parking Ticket Scam: What To Watch For A Hudson Valley elected official is warning residents to be wary of fake texts asking them to pay unpaid parking tickets.  In a post on X on Monday, July 1, New York Assemblyman Matt Slater, who represents parts of Putnam and Northern Westchester, warned residents of a fake text scheme involving scammers claiming that victims owe unpaid parking invoices in New York City.  According to Slater, the texts will claim that victims will owe an additional charge of $25 unless they settle their balance. They will also contain a link where victims can settle their "balance."  "Don't …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls
Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls Authorities alerted residents to be on high alert after multiple people got phony calls about attending jury duty. The Fairfield County warning was made on Friday, June 28 by police in the town of Ridgefield. According to the local authorities, several residents had been contacted about attending jury duty by somebody using a phone number with the area code 203. The scammer claimed to be a Sergeant from the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office. Police emphasized that these calls (and sometimes emails) are scams, and that court officers will never ask for information such as a Social Secu…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Scammers Posing As Law Enforcement, Sending Fake Letters To Victims In Hudson Valley Scammers Posing As Law Enforcement, Sending Fake Letters To Victims In Hudson Valley
Scammers Posing As Law Enforcement, Sending Fake Letters To Victims In Hudson Valley Authorities in the region are warning residents of a scheme involving scammers posing as law enforcement and sending victims fake letters to convince them they are in trouble with the law.  The scam, detailed in an announcement from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office on Friday, June 28, involves suspects contacting victims and posing as law enforcement before telling them they are wanted for a crime.  The Sheriff's Office added that the scammer will then tell the victim they need to pay cash to satisfy the warrant or charges.  To further convince victims that the request i…

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by Ben Crnic
News
2 Suspects Posing As Law Enforcement Nabbed In Hudson Valley $27K Phone Scam 2 Suspects Posing As Law Enforcement Nabbed In Hudson Valley $27K Phone Scam
2 Suspects Posing As Law Enforcement Nabbed In Hudson Valley $27K Phone Scam Two suspects from New Jersey posing as law enforcement authorities in New York were nabbed after allegedly scamming residents out of $27,000. The Hudson Valley incident occurred in Dutchess County on Tuesday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 19. According to Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Vivek B. Shingarakhia, age 24, and Kishan Gajera, age 31, both of Jersey City, in connection with the investigation into a phone scam that was reported to the Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday, June 19. Watterson said the victims reported to sheriff’s deputies that they susp…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Scammer Caught Red-Handed With $36K Taken From Woman From Region, Police Say Scammer Caught Red-Handed With $36K Taken From Woman From Region, Police Say
Scammer Caught Red-Handed With $36K Taken From Woman From Region, Police Say A man was captured in the region after allegedly scamming a woman out of $36,000. The incident occurred in Sullivan County on Wednesday, May 1 in the village of Liberty. According to Chief Steven D'Agata of the Liberty Police, the department received a call from a 76-year-old resident who said the money had been taken from her as part of an elaborate scam. The woman told officers that what appeared to be a virus appeared on her computer. Shortly after she received a phone call from a man claiming to be from an anti-virus company and he would help her. D'Agata said the man, identified as H…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Phone Scam: Man Nabbed After Swindling Victim Out Of $28K In Northern Westchester, Police Say Phone Scam: Man Nabbed After Swindling Victim Out Of $28K In Northern Westchester, Police Say
Phone Scam: Man Nabbed After Swindling Victim Out Of $28K In Northern Westchester, Police Say A 48-year-old man was hit with a grand larceny charge after posing as a Microsoft employee and scamming a victim out of $28,000 in Northern Westchester, police announced. The arrest stemmed from an incident on Thursday, April 18, when a victim told Bedford Police that he had been swindled out of tens of thousands of dollars, the department announced on Wednesday, April 24.  According to Bedford Police, the victim had received a pop-up security alert appearing to be from "Microsoft" on their home computer that included a phone number to call for support. Upon calling the number, the vic…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns
Scammers Posing As Nysp Troopers, Agency Warns New York State Police are sounding the alarm over scammers posing as troopers in order to con victims out of their money. In an alert issued Tuesday, April 9, the agency said fraudsters employ a variety of tactics to con their victims, including demanding payment for a missed court date, jury duty, or other legal matter. The phony cops have also been known to claim there is a warrant for the victim’s arrest and threaten to apprehend them unless a fine is paid. In some cases, scammers have directed the victim to buy a prepaid money transfer card and give them the card number. “They might s…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff A couple of New Yorkers tried to pull a fast one on a woman in Maryland, but were ultimately apprehended after getting greedy and attempting to go to the well one too many times.  The Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised this week about a scam involving a pair who had been collecting large amounts of cash from a Hagerstown woman, prompting an investigation that led to the arrests of Jinghai Fang and Binbin Ge. In late March, investigators say that the woman received a notification on her tablet that one of her accounts had been hacked, so she called the supplied number and fo…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Warn Of Scam Letters Asking For Donations In Hudson Valley: 'Be Vigilant' Police Warn Of Scam Letters Asking For Donations In Hudson Valley: 'Be Vigilant'
Police Warn Of Scam Letters Asking For Donations In Hudson Valley: 'Be Vigilant' Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents to be on the lookout for letters soliciting funds that falsely appear to be sent on behalf of law enforcement.  In a warning issued on Monday, Dec. 4, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office advised residents that they may receive letters soliciting donations that appear to be sent on behalf of the Sheriff's Office.  However, the senders are not associated with the Sheriff's Office in any way, authorities said, adding that they are part of a "potential scam."  The Sheriff's Office released an image depicting these letters on …

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Woman Victimized By Scammer Posing As Family Member Over Phone In Westchester Woman Victimized By Scammer Posing As Family Member Over Phone In Westchester
Woman Victimized By Scammer Posing As Family Member Over Phone In Westchester Residents are being warned to be cautious after a woman in New York was contacted by a scammer who posed as her family member in an effort to solicit money from her.  The Westchester County incident happened to a member of the Port Chester Senior Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 11, when she was victimized by a "grandparent scam," according to an announcement from the center shared by the Port Chester Police Department. According to the community center, the woman received a call from someone who sounded like her grandchild, who said that they were in trouble and needed money …

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Suspects Steal Cash, Jewelry Using Sleight Hand Techniques In Northern Westchester: Police Suspects Steal Cash, Jewelry Using Sleight Hand Techniques In Northern Westchester: Police
Suspects Steal Cash, Jewelry Using Sleight Hand Techniques In Northern Westchester: Police Two patrons of a bank and supermarket in Northern Westchester became the victims of four scammers who used sleight-of-hand techniques to steal both cash and jewelry from them, police said.  Both incidents happened within a few days of each other in Yorktown, the town's police department announced on Wednesday, Aug. 23, in addition to releasing surveillance photos of the four suspects.  The first theft happened at an unnamed bank in Jefferson Valley when a senior citizen was approached by a woman wearing a baseball cap after withdrawing funds from the bank and getting in her vehicl…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace'
Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' A suspect is at large after allegedly scamming a  woman out of money in an email scam pretending he was someone from her workplace in Connecticut. In Fairfield County, the incident took place on Wednesday, March 15 when Darien Police met with the victim of the larceny involving an email scam. The victim reported that earlier in the day she received an email from a familiar name at her workplace. The email requested that she purchase gift cards related to her work function, Darien PD Sgt. Dan Skoumbros said. The email explained to the victim that pictures of the gift cards wi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Scammers Targeting Religious Groups, Parishioners In Hudson Valley Scammers Targeting Religious Groups, Parishioners In Hudson Valley
Scammers Targeting Religious Groups, Parishioners In Hudson Valley Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents of scammers who have been asking for fraudulent donation requests from religious groups and parishioners.  The warning was issued by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Friday, March 10, which said that the scams consist of fraudulent solicitors asking parishioners to donate to their local houses of worship. Usually, the scenario will consist of religious victims being sent an email or text message stating that their house of worship is collecting donations in the form of cash or gift cards, authorities said. The Sheri…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Fake Fundraiser Involves Police Sweatshirts In Northern Westchester Scam Alert: Fake Fundraiser Involves Police Sweatshirts In Northern Westchester
Scam Alert: Fake Fundraiser Involves Police Sweatshirts In Northern Westchester A police department in Northern Westchester is warning of a fake fundraiser involving the sale of sweatshirts emblazoned with the department's logo.  Sweatshirts sold by MONZANO24 that display the Yorktown Police Department's logo have been falsely advertised as a fundraiser for the department, Yorktown Police said in a post on Monday, Jan. 23.  This is a SCAM if advertised as a fundraiser for YPD. If we ever advertise any item for sale as a fundraiser (like our... Posted by Yorktown Police Department on Monday, January 23, 2023 Members of the department said that any actual fundraise…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Sweatshirts With Patch Are Fake, Fire Department In Hudson Valley Says Scam Alert: Sweatshirts With Patch Are Fake, Fire Department In Hudson Valley Says
Scam Alert: Sweatshirts With Patch Are Fake, Fire Department In Hudson Valley Says A fire department in the Hudson Valley is warning people not to buy fake sweatshirts that scammers are offering online.  The sweatshirts display a patch with the name of the Lake Carmel Fire Department and are offered by different users on Facebook, including one by the name of "Shawon Rohan Amhad," which the department reported and blocked.  "We are NOT selling these and have NEVER authorized the use of our patch for anyone else to do so!" the department said in a post on Friday, Dec. 23, adding, " In the event we ever have shirts available for sale they will be sold directly fro…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
'Human Piece Of Garbage' Scams Woman Out Of $2K In Northern Westchester, Police Say 'Human Piece Of Garbage' Scams Woman Out Of $2K In Northern Westchester, Police Say
'Human Piece Of Garbage' Scams Woman Out Of $2K In Northern Westchester, Police Say Although a woman from Northern Westchester unfortunately lost $2,000 to a scammer, it could have been much worse, police said. It all started when a woman from Yorktown was contacted by a "human piece of garbage" who claimed to be tech support from Google or Microsoft, and told the victim that he needed to access her email and bank accounts to prevent a virus from compromising them, Yorktown Police said in a post on Wednesday, Dec. 14.  As part of the ruse, the victim purchased close to $2,000 in gift cards on three separate days and then sent scanned pictures of these cards to the sca…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Police In Hudson Valley Warn Of E-Mail Scam Involving Geek Squad Don't Fall For It: Police In Hudson Valley Warn Of E-Mail Scam Involving Geek Squad
Don't Fall For It: Police In Hudson Valley Warn Of E-Mail Scam Involving Geek Squad Police in the Hudson Valley are warning residents of a scam allegedly involving Best Buy's popular Geek Squad after receiving multiple complaints. Victims are being contacted via email reporting that they owe money for a service plan and that there is a past due balance on their account, according to the Spring Valley Police. Victims then provide their bank account information or pre-paid gift cards only to realize a day later a large sum of money is removed from their account without permission, police said. Please contact Detective Fantasia at 845-721-9562 if you have any information on …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Police In Westchester Warn Against Scammers Posing As Fire Department Members Police In Westchester Warn Against Scammers Posing As Fire Department Members
Police In Westchester Warn Against Scammers Posing As Fire Department Members A police department in Westchester County is warning against scammers posing as fire department members to get business owners to pay them money.  Police said a business owner in Eastchester was contacted by an individual claiming to be part of the town's fire department who said that their business's fire extinguishers were expired, and that they should pay to have their extinguishers inspected, according to a post by Eastchester Police from Wednesday, Nov. 9.  The Eastchester Fire Department would not inspect portable fire extinguishers except for periodic building fire inspecti…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Fraudsters Posing As Door-To-Door Salespeople In Westchester, Police Warn Fraudsters Posing As Door-To-Door Salespeople In Westchester, Police Warn
Fraudsters Posing As Door-To-Door Salespeople In Westchester, Police Warn Police issued an alert to Westchester County residents about a common scam where individuals pose as door-to-door salespeople. The City of Rye Police Department made the announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 16. "With so many residents doing home improvements we have a lot of contractors in our area," police said. "With the optic of our neighborhoods filled with contractors we want to make sure you don’t let your guard down and become the victim of a scam." Police said scammers often claim to be salespeople for a construction company or contractors with extra supplies and say they can offer a good…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Don't Fall For It: Northern Westchester Fire Department Issues Alert About Scam Messages Don't Fall For It: Northern Westchester Fire Department Issues Alert About Scam Messages
Don't Fall For It: Northern Westchester Fire Department Issues Alert About Scam Messages A Northern Westchester fire department issued an alert about a texting scam where individuals are pretending to sell apparel on behalf of the department. The Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department said in an announcement on Saturday, Aug. 6, that scammers are texting individuals a link and claiming to offer deals to buy fire department shirts. Officials said this is a scam, and the fire department is not selling any shirts or other apparel. The only legitimate items residents may see from the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department are its "Fund Drive" letters in the mail or "Big Bucks" raffle tickets …

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For Scam Callers Posing As Police, Relatives In Area Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For Scam Callers Posing As Police, Relatives In Area
Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For Scam Callers Posing As Police, Relatives In Area Authorities have issued a new alert to Hudson Valley residents about scam callers. Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville said residents should be wary of calls from individuals asking for money, adding that scammers can use a variety of tactics to trick people. These include impersonating police agencies and claiming a relative was arrested and needs bail, even putting people on the phone to impersonate and child or grandchild. Other times scammers may pretend to be government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute the victim unless they pay the scammer, he said.  McConville …

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Cybersecurity experts have reported an increase in phishing scam text messages, according to a new report from CNET. Josh Yavor, the chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Tessian, told the news outlet he has seen a recent increase in scammers using text messages for phishing, where they attempt to steal peoples' personal information by pretending to be reputable organizations. CNET also said a report from enterprise security company Proofpoint found that incidents SMS phishing increased by 24 percent in the United States last year. The Federal Trade Commission reporte…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Don't Fall For It: Local Resident Loses $12,000 In Scam Don't Fall For It: Local Resident Loses $12,000 In Scam
Don't Fall For It: Local Resident Loses $12,000 In Scam Several area police agencies are investigating grand larceny complaints after a resident was allegedly scammed out of $12,000.  According to Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra, the scammer -- who is operating in Ulster County -- called a town resident, reporting to be an attorney representing the victim’s grandson, telling the victim he needed to pay $12,000 cash to have his grandson released from jail. The scammer then told the victim that he would send a courier to the victim’s residence to pick up the money. The victim believing the caller was an attorney, went to his lo…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Scammers Banned From Westchester Stop & Shop After Harassing Customers Scammers Banned From Westchester Stop & Shop After Harassing Customers
Scammers Banned From Westchester Stop & Shop After Harassing Customers A group of hecklers in Northern Westchester could be arrested if they return to an area Stop & Shop where they allegedly harassed customers for cash, police said. The North Castle Police Department received a call from a shopper at the North White Plains Stop & Shop on Custis Avenue who said he was approached by multiple Black men in their late teens or early 20s who were asking for donations for their basketball team. Police said that when the caller was preparing to make a donation, an employee from Stop & Shop came outside and advised that the group was scamming him and to n…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Duo Nabbed For Scam Involving Fake Hudson Valley Fatal DWI Crash, Police Say Duo Nabbed For Scam Involving Fake Hudson Valley Fatal DWI Crash, Police Say
Duo Nabbed For Scam Involving Fake Hudson Valley Fatal DWI Crash, Police Say Two women have been arrested in an alleged scam attempt in which they alleged that the victim's relative had been arrested for a fatal DWI crash and needed bail money. Elizabeth Taveras, age 29, and Sade Rosario, age 29, both of New York City, were arrested by the Dutchess County's Sheriff's Office on Friday, Jan. 28, in connection with the scam of an area resident. According to Captain John Watterson, of the Sheriff's Office, the women, posing as a legal team, called a local resident and informed them that a relative was a suspect in a DWI-related fatal crash and that they w…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Two Connecticut men are facing larceny charges for their alleged attempt to scam a Westchester County woman out of thousands of dollars. Kylo Simons and Rayshawn McFarlane, both of Hartford, were each charged with third-degree larceny, according to the Irvington Police Department. The 77-year-old Irvington woman was contacted by an individual who identified herself as the attorney for the woman's grandson, police said.  The caller reportedly said she had the ability to facilitate a bail transaction of $9,800 for the fake arrest. The victim was then contacted by the same cal…

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by Nicole Valinote