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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
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Alarm bells are sounding for law enforcement agencies as a new Social Security scam continues making the rounds as opportunistic fraudsters look to exploit the elderly. An alert was issued by police agencies in New York after they received multiple reports of scammers impersonating Social Security Administration (SSA) employees over the phone requesting personal information or money. Police said that some of the imposters have made threats or demanded immediate payment to help their victims avoid arrest or potential legal action. Officials noted that SSA employees will never threaten anyon…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Text Message Phishing Scheme On Vaccine Verification COVID-19: Alert Issued For Text Message Phishing Scheme On Vaccine Verification
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Text Message Phishing Scheme On Vaccine Verification State officials are warning New Yorkers about a new scam where individuals attempt to steal information by pretending to be the state Department of Health attempting to validate COVID-19 vaccination status. The New York State Division of Consumer Protection issued the alert on Tuesday, Oct. 12, saying scammers are exploiting policies by employers requiring certain employees to be vaccinated.  The individuals text or email a fraudulent link asking people to enter their personal information.  Officials said anyone who receives these messages should immediately delete them. To prot…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Alert Issued For Scams Involving Fake Arrest Warrants Alert Issued For Scams Involving Fake Arrest Warrants
Alert Issued For Scams Involving Fake Arrest Warrants Law enforcement agencies in the Hudson Valley are cautioning about a returning scam making the round involving fraudsters posing as corrections officers claiming there is a warrant out for their victims’ arrest. The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert after receiving multiple reports from local residents regarding a scam involving the phony arrest warrants that can disappear if they are paid a certain amount of money. “Scams are ways in which criminals will attempt to get money from people by contacting them and making up elaborate stories,” according to the Dutchess Count…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams Opportunistic fraudsters have taken advantage of some consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time targeting child tax credit payments that have been sent out to assist families. The IRS recently issued an alert after it began sending tens of millions of dollars to families, though scammers have been attempting to pull a fast one over on some to steal thousands of dollars in federal benefits. According to the IRS, scammers have been reaching out to families using emails, text messages, and through social media, asking to verify personal information to receive the child tax credit payme…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Accused Of Scamming Victim In Hudson Valley Of $100K Man Accused Of Scamming Victim In Hudson Valley Of $100K
Man Accused Of Scamming Victim In Hudson Valley Of $100K A Long Island man busted by undercover police officers attempting to scam an 85-year-old Hudson Valley woman out of more than $100,000 was convicted by a jury on multiple charges, the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office announced. Suffolk County resident James Mcinerney, of Coram, was convicted following a jury trial of second-degree grand larceny, attempted grand larceny, and resisting arrest following a months-long scheme that saw him bilk a Cold Spring woman out of tens of thousands of dollars. Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy said that between July 2018 and Decembe…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers Local law enforcement agencies are cautioning area residents to be wary following recent reports of opportunistic fraudsters posing as Amazon employees over the phone to gain access to personal information. Officials said that con artists have been posing as Amazon employees claiming to need verification about their account or that something is wrong with an order, allowing them to attempt stealing their victims’ identities. According to police, once a call is answered, a recorded message will claim to be from Amazon stating there is a problem with their account. Messages included claims …

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by Zak Failla