Bergenfield, NJ
Lifestyle
Stopping Fraud: Oritani Bank Offers Advice On How To Protect Yourself Stopping Fraud: Oritani Bank Offers Advice On How To Protect Yourself
Stopping Fraud: Oritani Bank Offers Advice On How To Protect Yourself The goal of many con artists is the acquisition of financial information that can allow them to victimize unsuspecting individuals. A con artist often targets specific groups of people who possess certain characteristics and attributes that will make the fraud easier to execute, like age and financial stability, but anyone can be a target of con artists. Below is some great information to help safeguard you and your financial information against fraud. Targeting in Multiple Ways A con artist generally has multiple approaches to conning people out of money. Con artists most often use the U.S…

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Content Partner: Oritani Bank
Hackensack, NJ
Neighbors
What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From
What's The Deal? Residents Nationwide Ask Amazon Where 'Surprise' Package Came From Hundreds of Allendale residents recently joined tens of thousands of fellow Americans nationwide in reporting an item delivered through Amazon that they didn't order – in this instance, an iPhone screen protector. “Tossed it in the trash,” wrote one of the recipients. “Sketchy.” “I got one to my house and to my office. Neither for phones I have,” another added. “Have been getting them too. Not once, but 3 times already,” another said. “So weird.” Should they be worried? Probably not, experts say. A flood of deliveries of an unordered item is usually part of a scam known as “brushing,” i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Middletown-Wallkill, NY
Police & Fire
Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info
Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info State agencies in New York are cautioning residents to be wary of the latest scam to hit the area, this one involving opportunistic fraudsters posing as state officials. There has been a rash of reports of scammers spoofing official state phone numbers that will show up on caller IDs. The fraudsters then attempt to ascertain personal information. There have been reports of scammers posing as the New York State Inspector General’s Office, New York State Police, and the Social Security Administration in recent weeks. Several individuals have received phone calls from what appears to be a pri…

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by Zak Failla
Northern Highlands, NJ
Police & Fire
Parlor Tricks: NJ Pulls Allendale, Saddle River Massage Therapists’ Licenses In Sex Cases Parlor Tricks: NJ Pulls Allendale, Saddle River Massage Therapists’ Licenses In Sex Cases
Parlor Tricks: NJ Pulls Allendale, Saddle River Massage Therapists’ Licenses In Sex Cases Massage therapists working in Allendale and Saddle River were among five who recently had their licenses yanked by state authorities amid charges of rubbing certain customers the wrong way. State authorities announced the charges to help lay the groundwork for proposed new rules that they said are aimed at “preventing and detecting sexual misconduct in the industry.” The rules would, among other things: Require massage therapists to notify the state Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy of criminal, civil, administrative, and employment actions against them; Require massage therapists to …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Bedford, NY
News
Police Agencies In Area Warn Of Phone, IRS Scams Making The Rounds Police Agencies In Area Warn Of Phone, IRS Scams Making The Rounds
Police Agencies In Area Warn Of Phone, IRS Scams Making The Rounds Police agencies in the area are warning area residents to be wary as a new phone scam has been making the rounds in the area. A Mount Kisco woman reported to Westchester County Police investigators that she had been scammed out of $4,000 by a person claiming to be from the IRS late last month. According to the woman, she received a call saying that she was in tax arrears and she proceeded to follow the fraudster’s instructions to purchase gift cards and call back with the numbers associated with them. “Westchester County Police remind residents that the IRS will not contact taxpayers by ph…

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by Zak Failla
Westport, CT
Police & Fire
Contractor Charged After Failing To Finish $25K Job, Westport Police Say Contractor Charged After Failing To Finish $25K Job, Westport Police Say
Contractor Charged After Failing To Finish $25K Job, Westport Police Say A pool contractor was charged with allegedly taking a $25,000 deposit for a job his company did not complete in Westport. The alleged victim went to Westport Police to report that he gave the deposit to Champion Pool Service to install a pool, said Westport Police. The person said he had a verbal agreement with the company's owner Richard Sutcliffe to draft a contract and full quote once he (the victim) obtained the required permits from the Town of Westport, according to police.  The check was reportedly cashed and he got a receipt on July 22, 1018, police said. The pool c…

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by Donna Christopher
Stony Point, NY
News
Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For 'Clever' Fake Check Scam Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For 'Clever' Fake Check Scam
Don't Fall For It: Alert Issued For 'Clever' Fake Check Scam Residents in the area are being warned about a new phony check scam that has been making the rounds in the region. There are several variations to the scam, officials said, but the most common involves a resident receiving notice that they won a “sweepstakes” with a faux check or first installment. Other versions involve letters from allegedly foreign countries that require the deposit of cash into a bank account for safekeeping, while others offer “too good to be true” or “work at home” proposals. Authorities said that, “the checks look real, and might have the names of real companies on t…

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by Zak Failla
Tappan-Blauvelt, NY
News
O&R: Beware Of Bill Payment Scam O&R: Beware Of Bill Payment Scam
O&R: Beware Of Bill Payment Scam O&R is warning its customers of a new bill payment scam that has been targeting the public. Scam callers have been contacting O&R customers and claiming to be associated with the company in hopes of stealing money. The scammer will typically threaten to shut off the customer’s service unless the customer sends a Green Dot or other prepaid debit cards. O&R never has and never will accept prepaid debit cards as a form of payment. Anyone asking for O&R bill payment via prepaid debit is attempting to scam the caller. Furthermore, O&R does not implement immediate shutoff as …

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by Valerie Musson
Somers, NY
News
Westchester Reaches Deal With Starbucks To Provide Pricing On Several Missing Drink Offerings Westchester Reaches Deal With Starbucks To Provide Pricing On Several Missing Drink Offerings
Westchester Reaches Deal With Starbucks To Provide Pricing On Several Missing Drink Offerings It may not be a latte money for the retail giant, but Westchester County officials have reached a deal with Starbucks over its failure to provide prices on several drink offerings at multiple locations in the area. Starbucks agreed to pay a $4,500 settlement to Westchester County and to make a $4,500 donation to the Yonkers-based Greyston Foundation after the Department of Consumer Protection learned that the retailer didn’t list prices for every item it had on sale. According to the Department of Consumer Protection, Westchester County law requires a seller of consumer goods to provide the…

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
Politics
State Cracks Down On Pharmacies Failing To Comply With Drug Pricing Law State Cracks Down On Pharmacies Failing To Comply With Drug Pricing Law
State Cracks Down On Pharmacies Failing To Comply With Drug Pricing Law At least 44 pharmacies failed to post drug prices as required by law, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced on Thursday. As a result of the investigation, the Attorney General’s Office sent cease and desist letters to the pharmacies found to be in violation, mandating compliance with consumer protection laws that require that pharmacies maintain a list of their prices for the 150 most commonly prescribed drugs.  Pharmacies in violation of these laws were located in: Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Nassau County, Northern Manhattan, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Suffolk Count…

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by Jon Craig
Massapequa, NY
News
Police Issue New Social Security Scam Warning Police Issue New Social Security Scam Warning
Police Issue New Social Security Scam Warning Police in the area are cautioning local residents to be wary of a new phone scam that has been making the rounds. Last week, police officials found that they received multiple calls from area residents who received phone calls threatening to suspend their social security number if cash isn’t paid to the caller. Police noted that social security numbers “do not get suspended. This is just a scam that’s after your SSN, bank account number, or money.  Please hang up if anyone calls about your social security number.” In an effort to keep residents safe, police offered a series of tips: …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
Police & Fire
Contractors From Westchester, Dutchess Charged With Scamming Customers In Greenwich, Police Say Contractors From Westchester, Dutchess Charged With Scamming Customers In Greenwich, Police Say
Contractors From Westchester, Dutchess Charged With Scamming Customers In Greenwich, Police Say Two contractors from Westchester and one from Dutchess have been charged after police say they scammed numerous customers in Greenwich. Greenwich Police say they arrested Weber Marin, 34, of White Plains, Ilir Cubi, 41, of Yonkers and Joseph Monserrate, 31, of Poughkeepsie on Sunday, June 9 after receiving complaints made by customers about being scammed. The three men had advertised plumbing repair services under an assumed business name and obtained work at three different Greenwich residences, according to police. Each of the men then conducted a requested repair and demanded on-the-spo…

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by Valerie Musson