Tag:

Wire Transfer

Gloucester Township, NJ
Police & Fire
Houston Man Arrested For Phony $87K Wire Transfer: Gloucester Twp PD Houston Man Arrested For Phony $87K Wire Transfer: Gloucester Twp PD
Houston Man Arrested For Phony $87K Wire Transfer: Gloucester Twp PD A 64-year-old Houston man was arrested and charged after he tried to impersonate a customer at a bank in Gloucester Township, authorities announced Wednesday, March 4. At 12:52 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, officers responded to Fulton Bank at 1400 Blackwood Clementon Rd. after employees alerted officers to a man, later identified as David Hutton, attempting to execute a suspicious transaction, Gloucester Township police said. Hutton was impersonating a bank customer and attempting to complete a wire transfer in the amount of $87,500 out of the victim’s account, police said. Hutton was de…

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by Sam Barron
Rutherford, NJ
News
‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say ‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say Two New Jersey brothers are accused of running a scam that stole nearly $400,000 from elderly victims in New York and Connecticut, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Monday, Aug. 25. Abhishek Barvalia, 31, and Tushar Barvalia, 32, of Rutherfo, were indicted on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Gonzalez said. They were released without bail after being arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and are due back Oct. 22. Prosecutors say the scam ran from June 2023 to January 2024, targeting women ages 76, 78, 83, and 90 i…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner
Door-To-Door Scam Artist Took $100K From Rochelle Park Homeowner A Rochelle Park woman was scammed out of $100,000 by a door-to-door contractor — but police say they got every penny back. The incident began on May 22, when the victim answered an unsolicited knock at her door from a person offering construction, roofing, and pest control services, Rochelle Park Police said in a Tuesday, Aug. 12 release. Police said the man began work on the home, then convinced the victim to complete a wire transfer on her phone, sending the funds to a separate bank account. Detectives identified the business owner registered to the account and recovered all of the victim…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hartford, CT
Business
Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says
Walmart To Pay $10M After Scammers Exploit Money Transfer Services, FTC Says Walmart will pay $10 million and change its money transfer practices after federal regulators said the company let scammers steal hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans. Walmart agreed to the payout in a settlement, the Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday, June 20. The agency's three commissioners unanimously approved the final order. The FTC accused the retail giant of allowing fraudsters to misuse its wire transfer services between 2013 and 2018. "Electronic money transfers are one of the most common ways that scammers tell consumers to send them money, be…

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by Chris Spiker
Pleasant Valley, NY
News
Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says
Don’t Answer If You Get This Call, FBI Says If you get a call from someone claiming to be the FBI or another government agency and threatens arrest unless you pay up, hang up. Scammers across the country are impersonating federal authorities and spoofing legitimate government phone numbers in a rising wave of fraud, authorities say. Victims are being told they face immediate arrest unless they send money via prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, cash, or cryptocurrency. The threats are fake, but the financial losses are very real. Here’s how the scam works: Caller ID spoofing — Scammers manipulate phone numbers so it looks like the …

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by Joe Lombardi
Mount Vernon, NY
Business
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express said it will pay $230 million to resolve federal investigations into deceptive sales tactics and recordkeeping violations involving small business credit card and wire transfer products. The credit card company agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty, the Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The settlement resolved claims against American Express of deceptive marketing and "dummy" account information. American Express was accused of engaging in unlawful sales tactics and falsifying records between 2014 and 2021. "When financial companies …

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by Chris Spiker
Atlantic City, NJ
Business
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sounding the alarm on a sophisticated new imposter scheme designed to steal your money and personal information.  These scams are becoming increasingly convincing, but learning to spot the red flags can help you stay protected. How the Scam Works Initial Contact: Scammers pose as representatives from well-known companies, such as Amazon or a tech support service. They’ll claim there’s a routine issue, like suspicious charges on your account, a computer virus, or an account breach. Escalation: The scammers lie, saying your name is tied to serious …

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by Joe Lombardi
Greenwich, CT
Police & Fire
Woman Who Stole $800K From Boys & Girls Club Of Greenwich Nabbed In Florida, Police Say Woman Who Stole $800K From Boys & Girls Club Of Greenwich Nabbed In Florida, Police Say
Woman Who Stole $800K From Boys & Girls Club Of Greenwich Nabbed In Florida, Police Say An out-of-state woman is behind bars for allegedly stealing $800,000 from a Fairfield County Boys & Girls Club through a wire transfer over the computer. Debora Marcoccio, age 68, of Florida, was extradited from the Lee County Jail in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, by the Greenwich Police. According to Lt. Patrick Smyth of the Greenwich Police, the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich contacted the department in December of 2022 to report a fraud involving one of its financial accounts. Due to fraudulent email activity, one of the club's financial staff members sent a wire t…

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by Kathy Reakes
Fair Lawn-Glen Rock, NJ
Police & Fire
Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief
Private Pics Cost Glen Rock 'Sextortion' Victim $20,000, Police Pursue Fugitive Cyberthief An elderly lonely heart from Glen Rock was “sextorted” out of $20,000 after sending compromising photos to a scammer he thought was a woman -- and was about to hand over another 20 grand when his bank mercifully refused, authorities said. Online romance scammer Ali H. Maman, 59, of Frederick, MD (photo above), has so far eluded authorities, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said this week. Posing as a woman, Maman communicated with the Glen Rock senior through Instagram and WhatsApp, the chief said on Wednesday, April 10. The victim was convinced to share the risqué photos, then w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hackensack, NJ
News
Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen
Confessed Hackensack Schemer Who Stole $2M From Victims' Bank Accounts Gets 5+ Years In Fed Pen A Hackensack woman who stole $2 million from various victims’ bank accounts through an elaborate scheme that included going to their homes is headed to federal prison for more than five years, authorities said Tuesday. Working with others, Alexis Taylor, 32, bought a “significant amount of stolen personal identifying information via the dark web, including bank account information and online security question answers,” Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachel A. Honig said. She then used the information to access victim accounts in New Jersey, New York and elsewhere, Honig said. Taylor a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
News
Here's How To Avoid This Auto Dial From Your Smart Device Scam Here's How To Avoid This Auto Dial From Your Smart Device Scam
Here's How To Avoid This Auto Dial From Your Smart Device Scam Officials are warning people to think twice before asking Alexa, giving a command to Siri or using auto-dial systems as a new smart device scam has been making the rounds nationwide. Scammers nationwide have put millions at risk by creating fake customer service numbers and using tech to bump them to the top of search results, sometimes by paying for ads. Then when one uses an auto-dial system, they wind up speaking with fraudsters, not an actual company that can assist them. Once on the line, the scammers will push for gift card deals or attempt to get credit card information. According t…

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by Zak Failla
Pelham, NY
News
Here's How Kids Can Make Sure Grandparents Don't Fall For This All-Too Familiar Scam Here's How Kids Can Make Sure Grandparents Don't Fall For This All-Too Familiar Scam
Here's How Kids Can Make Sure Grandparents Don't Fall For This All-Too Familiar Scam Police are educating children and young adults on the ways they can prevent their grandparents from becoming victims of phone scams. These types of scams typically begin when the victim receives a call, usually in the middle of the night. The caller often visits the social media profiles of the victims ahead of time so that they can make the call seem legitimate by providing names, phone numbers and other relevant details. The caller’s story will change with each victim - they got arrested, they got into an accident, etc. - but the request for money is what’s consistent. Victims are typical…

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by Valerie Musson
Mount Pleasant, NY
Police & Fire
Police Warn Residents Of Scam Involving Internet Transactions Police Warn Residents Of Scam Involving Internet Transactions
Police Warn Residents Of Scam Involving Internet Transactions A new scam is making the rounds in the area, police are cautioning. The scam has become prevalent involving Internet transactions on platforms such as Craigslist and other similar sites. Police said that the scam takes place when a suspect, posing as a buyer, pays the victim for an item with either a fraudulent or bad check.  Before the check can bounce or be discovered as a fake, and before the item is shipped, the suspect will then claim he no longer wants to complete the transaction, asking for the victim to refund the money. According to police, “unknowingly, the victim will then wire…

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by Zak Failla
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
Police & Fire
Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter
Terrified Wyckoff Mom Nearly Pays $10,000 For ‘Kidnapped’ Daughter WYCKOFF, N.J. – A terrified Wyckoff woman who thought she’d heard her kidnapped teenage daughter screaming on the other end of a scam phone call was headed to the bank to withdraw $10,000 in ransom money when she came upon a township police officer. It was yet another example, police warned, of how scammers can play on people’s emotions to try and steal their money. The would-be victim heard screams in the background as the caller demanded $10,000 for the safe return of whom she thought was her 14-year-old daughter, Lt. Joseph Soto said. She was on her way to the bank to withdraw the money…

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by Jerry DeMarco