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Measure To Ban Robocalls Gains Momentum Among State Lawmakers Measure To Ban Robocalls Gains Momentum Among State Lawmakers
Measure To Ban Robocalls Gains Momentum Among State Lawmakers State lawmakers in New York are taking a stand against robocalls, proposing a bill that would stop automated phone calls from being placed without prior consent. New York Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, and consumer advocates announced the Robocall Prevention Act in Albany on Tuesday, following a record number of unwanted calls that were made in 2018. According to Hoylman, more than 47.8 billion robocalls were placed nationwide in 2018. “Our bill will stop robocalls from being made to any telephone number owned by a person in New York, unless for emergency purposes or wi…

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI
Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI The FBI is warning consumers in the area to be wary of falling victim to scammers involved in credit card fraud schemes. The Bureau issued an alert this week, offering a series of tips to avoid becoming the latest victim of credit card fraud. According to the FBI, "credit card fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit or debit card, or similar payment tool (ACH, EFT, recurring charge, etc.), to fraudulently obtain money or property. Credit and debit card numbers can be stolen from unsecured websites or can be obtained in an identity theft scheme." Tips provided by the FBI include: Don’t …

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by Zak Failla
Business
FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims
FTC/FDA Issue An Alert For Misleading Medical Ads, Claims Health officials are warning consumers of misleading advertisements for products that claim to treat or prevent serious health conditions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they issued warning letters to certain companies. The FTC and FDA said that those companies make unfounded claims that their products can treat or cure Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. Letters were sent to  Gold Crown Natural Products, TEK Naturals, and Pure Nootropics, LLC. They were sent out Tuesday, Feb. 5. “Unfortunately, these products o…

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by Zak Failla
News
Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns
Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns The Federal Trade Commission is warning area residents to be wary of phantom debt collectors after taking down an elaborate group of schemers that stole millions. The FTC announced that they have filed a lawsuit against Global Asset Financial Services Group (GAFS) and 15 other related companies that allegedly operated a fake debt collection scheme. The complaint alleges that employees claimed to be lawyers or affiliated with a law firm in an attempt to collect non-existent debts. The scheme involved GAFS employees in New York and North Carolina calling to collect the faux debt, posing as a …

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by Zak Failla
News
State Launches Investigation Into Apple’s Face Time Breach State Launches Investigation Into Apple’s Face Time Breach
State Launches Investigation Into Apple’s Face Time Breach New York lawmakers have set their sights on Apple after a bug allowing an eavesdropping flaw earlier this month was discovered. A significant bug has been discovered in FaceTime and is currently spreading virally over social media. The bug lets you call anyone with FaceTime, and immediately hear the audio coming from their phone — before the person on the other end has accepted or rejected the incoming call, according to reports. In response, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office would be “launching an investigation into Apple’s failure to warn consumers about t…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Police are alerting residents to a "spoofing" scam in which the callers pretend to be police officers or other municipal officers in an attempt to solicit money and sensitive personal information. On Friday, Jan. 25, a town resident reported receiving a suspicious phone call that appeared to originate from the Greenburgh Police Department, Chief Chris McNerney said on Saturday, Jan. 26.  The caller claimed to be a Greenburgh police officer and wanted to discuss the woman's credit report.  "Fortunately, the resident became suspicious and hung up the phone," McNerney said. "We…

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by Daily Voice
News
Central Hudson Warns Residents Of Phone Scam Central Hudson Warns Residents Of Phone Scam
Central Hudson Warns Residents Of Phone Scam With a new year comes new scams, and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation is warning customers of heightened fraudulent activity. Central Hudson released a new alert about scammers who have been contacting customers with bogus calls threatening to disconnect utility services if payment using a purchased prepaid card is not made immediately. Officials said that scammers’ calls appear to be from Central Hudson, using the utility’s caller ID phone number. “Central Hudson would never request a payment in this way, and warns customers to be vigilant against these scams,” officials note…

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says
Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says A consumer alert has been issued about a new phone scam that has already cost tens of thousands of victims millions. Imposters pretending to be from the Social Security Administration call victims and tell a fake story about their Social Security number being compromised in an attempt to obtain personal information, according to the Federal Trade Commission.  In 2018, the scam cost 35,000 victims $10 million. “To compare: in 2017, we heard from 3,200 people about SSA imposter scams, and those people reported losing nearly $210,000,” the FTC said in a statement. Th…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M
Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M Wells Fargo Bank has agreed to pay $575 million – including more than $34 million combined to New Jersey, New York and Connecticut – to settle charges that it engaged in a variety of sales, lending, and other improper business practices for more than a decade. The bank also has agreed to pay more than $385 million to 850,000 auto finance customers who were wrongly charged premiums, interest, and fees for forced-place collateral protection insurance, even though they already had the coverage. That includes payments to more than 51,000 customers whose cars were repossessed, according to the m…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
Cell Phone Fraud On The Rise: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself Cell Phone Fraud On The Rise: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
Cell Phone Fraud On The Rise: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself People all around the country are at a higher risk than ever of becoming the next victim of cell phone fraud, especially the elderly. The FCC defines cell phone fraud as, “the unauthorized use, tampering or manipulation of a cellular phone or service.” It comes in two primary forms, subscriber fraud and phone cloning fraud. Subscriber fraud occurs when a scammer signs up for a service with information obtained in a fraudulent way. Cell phone cloning fraud occurs when a scammer essentially reprograms a cell phone to transmit the signal associated with another legitimate device. While other…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says
Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says The fresh fish you’re buying at the supermarket may not match its label, new research finds.  New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood has issued an advisory stating that some of the most common types of fish are likely to be mislabeled. Here’s how the risk breaks down by species: Salmon: 27 percent mislabeled Red snapper: 67 percent mislabeled Lemon sole: 87.5 percent mislabeled What’s truly alarming is the fact that the mislabeled fish species were often cheaper less desirable and even less environmentally sustainable than the types listed on their labels. For example, far…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Phone Scams On Rise, Dutchess Sheriff Warns Phone Scams On Rise, Dutchess Sheriff Warns
Phone Scams On Rise, Dutchess Sheriff Warns As the holiday season gets into high gear, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of Dutchess County and surrounding areas about phone scams that seem to be on the increase.  Phone scams are ways in which criminals will attempt to get money from people by calling them and making up elaborate stories. In some cases the perpetrators have tried, sometimes successfully, to use the victim’s emotions about a loved one in trouble to get money.  It’s common for the scammers to try to get money by telling people that one of their relati…

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by Kathy Reakes