Hackensack, NJ
Your Community
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
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
Wilton, CT
Breaking News
There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns
There's A New Spin On Gift-Card Scams, FTC Warns The Federal Trade Commission is warning of a new spin on a well-known scam involving gift cards. You’ve probably heard the stories: a victim receives a call, email or even a text message requesting funds for a seemingly legitimate and worthy cause. The victim is asked to send gift cards or otherwise transfer money to the scammer, who then disappears without a trace. The FTC says scammers are now pretending to be religious officials - pastors, rabbis, priests or bishops - and are asking worshipers for gift card contributions. “Appeals are often made by email, but we’ve heard people are also…

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by Valerie Musson
Massapequa, NY
Your Community
Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April
Here's How Many Robocalls New Yorkers Were Bombarded With In April Robocalls continue to be a scourge for New Yorkers, with millions of callers being flooded by calls “at all hours of the day and night.” In April, New Yorkers received 290.3 million robocalls, which is an average of 112 calls per second and 11 calls per New Yorker. In April, there were 176 million robocalls made to numbers in New York City and Long Island, and there have been more than 720 million robocalls reported since the year started, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer. In response, Schumer is backing legislation that would give federal investigators the tools to trace, prosecute and fi…

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
Breaking News
Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General
Facebook Privacy Breach To Be Probed By New York Attorney General Facebook isn’t getting any new likes from New York Attorney General Letitia James. James announced on Thursday, April 25 that her office was launching an investigation into Facebook’s unauthorized collection of 1.5 million Facebook users’ email contact databases. According to James, “while Facebook claims that 1.5 million contact databases were directly harvested by its email password verification process for new users, the total number of people whose information was improperly obtained may be hundreds of millions.” “It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers' …

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
On Your Side
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
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
Armonk, NY
Breaking News
Beware Of Phantom Debt Collectors, FTC Warns 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
Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park, NJ
Breaking News
BEWARE: 'Grandson In Trouble' Phone Scam Costs Elderly Saddle Brook Woman $7,500 BEWARE: 'Grandson In Trouble' Phone Scam Costs Elderly Saddle Brook Woman $7,500 BEWARE: 'Grandson In Trouble' Phone Scam Costs Elderly Saddle Brook Woman $7,500
Beware: 'Grandson In Trouble' Phone Scam Costs Elderly Saddle Brook Woman $7,500 Heartless phone scammers stole $7,500 from a frightened Saddle Brook woman who was fooled into thinking her grandson had just been arrested after an accident. They tried getting $7,300 more from her – only she was at the borough police station at the time reporting the first crime. The first caller told the victim on Tuesday that he’d been arrested for DWI after he rear-ended a pregnant woman’s car, Police Chief Robert Kugler said. “He also said he broke his nose and cut his lip, requiring stitches, had just been released from the hospital and was in custody of the police,” Kugler said. “…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Harrison, NY
Breaking News
Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns
Stolen Mail Can Lead To ID Theft, Westchester DA Warns In the wake of several instances involving stolen mail in the area, officials in Westchester are offering advice to residents to avoid becoming the victim of opportunistic fraudsters.  Last year, police in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains, Tarrytown, Harrison, Purchase, Bronxville, New Rochelle, North Castle and other communities investigated incidents involving mail thefts. The incidents include curbside mailboxes that were broken into or opened with stolen keys or outright stolen. Thieves have also used “fishing” techniques to take mail from mailboxes, and “rural-style” mailboxes …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
Breaking 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
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
Fairfield, CT
Breaking News
Scam Alert: Calls Tell Businesses, Consumers They're Behind On Bills Scam Alert: Calls Tell Businesses, Consumers They're Behind On Bills Scam Alert: Calls Tell Businesses, Consumers They're Behind On Bills
Scam Alert: Calls Tell Businesses, Consumers They're Behind On Bills Opportunistic fraudsters have been making the rounds in Fairfield County, posing as utility workers threatening to turn the lights off at local businesses. The Shelton Police Department issued an alert, cautioning that local businesses have recently been targeted by scammers calling and pretending to be from United Illuminating. The businesses are told that they are behind on their electric bills and that the power will be shut off immediately unless a payment is made. “It’s an old swindle with some new twists,” officials from the utility company stated. “Caller ID may show the call is comi…

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by Zak Failla
Stamford, CT
Breaking News
Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump
Scam Alert: Beware Of Card Skimming At The Gas Pump With Thanksgiving weekend and December holiday travel coming, a new warning has been issued about skimming scams at the pump. Skimmers are illegal card readers attached to payment terminals. These card readers grab data off a credit or debit card’s magnetic stripe without your knowledge. Criminals sell the stolen data or use it to buy things online. You won’t know your information has been stolen until you get your statement or an overdraft notice. While your eyes are on the road, scammers' eyes are on your wallet. Here are a few tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help you avoid a s…

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by Joe Lombardi
Hackensack, NJ
Your Community
Want To Donate To Victims Of Hurricane Florence? Here's How Want To Donate To Victims Of Hurricane Florence? Here's How Want To Donate To Victims Of Hurricane Florence? Here's How
Want To Donate To Victims Of Hurricane Florence? Here's How As experts warn of damage that could be worse than from Katrina, administrators of one of the area's largest Facebook groups have compiled a list of Hurricane Florence relief organizations. The list in the Bergen County-based Northern New Jersey All Incidents group will be updated, as needed, co-administrator James Bohan said Thursday. “All organizations are, to the best of our knowledge, reputable,” Bohan said. “We encourage everyone to follow their conscience when donating. Unless otherwise specified, what relief organizations need most right now is money,” he added. Unsolicited, physic…

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by Jerry DeMarco