Tag:

MoneyGram

Westport
Police & Fire
Woman Nabbed For Stealing, Cashing MoneyGram In Westport, Police Say Woman Nabbed For Stealing, Cashing MoneyGram In Westport, Police Say
Woman Nabbed For Stealing, Cashing MoneyGram In Westport, Police Say A Fairfield County woman has been charged with alleged larceny after cashing a lost MoneyGram while using her name and address. Valentina Dimitia-Coatanroch, age 51, of Stratford, was arrested by Westport Police on Sunday, Jan. 21. According to Lt. Eric Woods of the Westport Police, on Friday, March 6, 2020, Westport Police initiated a larceny investigation after a resident reported they had lost a MoneyGram they had purchased in the amount of $550.00. When they called MoneyGram for a replacement, they were told that it had already been cashed, Woods said. The investigating offic…

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by Kathy Reakes
Ulster Sullivan
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sullivan County Sheriff Says Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sullivan County Sheriff Says
Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sullivan County Sheriff Says Another phone scam is making the rounds in the region.  This time, this caller is "Officer Johnson," claiming to be from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. "Officer Johnson" claims to be from the Sheriff’s Office and tells the victim that there is a warrant that has been issued for the victim’s arrest because they failed to report for jury duty, said Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office He then advises the victim that they can avoid arrest if they pay a fine over the phone. The victim is then instructed to purchase a prepaid debit card and provide the …

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by Kathy Reakes
Essex NJ
News
Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam
Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam A former New Jersey couple and a Nigerian national scammed more than 100 lonely hearts out of $4.5 million in an elaborate online romance scheme, federal authorities charged. Martins Inalegwu, 34, of Philadelphia and Steincy Mathieu, 26, of Brooklyn cooked up the plot with Moses Chukwuebuka Alexander and several of his Nigerian brethren, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Together, they trolled online dating and social media sites for willing marks, whom they “wooed with words of love” on the phone and in emails, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. T…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Atlantic
News
MATCH DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody MATCH DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody
Match DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody A serial dating scammer from Atlantic City who escaped from custody while serving time for conning women throughout the country must spend another 5½ years in federal prison. Patrick Giblin, 58, had already served several years behind bars -- and was months short of freedom -- when he made a break for it in July 2020, authorities said. Giblin bolted while being transitioned to a halfway house in Newark from a federal prison in Lewisburg, PA, to serve out the rest of his sentence for duping multiple women in an online dating scam, they said. It was the second time that he'd escaped federal …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lehigh
Police & Fire
Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison
Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison A Lehigh County man is facing nearly five years in prison for his role in what federal authorities called the largest coordinated elder fraud sweep in the nation. Anthony Redd, 65, of Fullerton, was sentenced Thursday to 58 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for mail fraud and money laundering offenses by U.S. District Judge Sylvia Rambo. He pleaded guilty in the case in September 2020. Redd was also ordered to pay $240,133 in restitution to the victims. There were at least 29 victims of the conspiracy involving Redd, according to The United States Attorne…

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by Nicole Acosta
Atlantic
News
Convicted NJ Serial Dating Scammer Captured After Fleeing Federal Custody Just Short Of Release Convicted NJ Serial Dating Scammer Captured After Fleeing Federal Custody Just Short Of Release
Convicted NJ Serial Dating Scammer Captured After Fleeing Federal Custody Just Short Of Release A serial dating scammer from Atlantic City who conned women throughout the country has been captured after escaping federal custody last summer, authorities announced Monday. Patrick Giblin, 56, was being transitioned from a federal prison in Lewisburg, PA to serve out the rest of a sentence at a halfway house in Newark when he bolted on July 23, 2020, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Giblin had already served six years for a 2007 wire-fraud scheme when he was sentenced in 2017 to five more years after admitting he duped several women in an online dating scam. He was barely a ye…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Bucks
News
PA Inmates, Girlfriend Accomplice Charged As Ringleaders In $226K Unemployment Fraud Scheme PA Inmates, Girlfriend Accomplice Charged As Ringleaders In $226K Unemployment Fraud Scheme
PA Inmates, Girlfriend Accomplice Charged As Ringleaders In $226K Unemployment Fraud Scheme Two Pennsylvania inmates and their outside accomplice were charged for their roles in a fraud scheme in which they gave false information on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications, to disperse $226,000 in funds, authorities announced. John Jones, an inmate at SCI Rockview in Centre County, and Robert Palmer, an inmate at SCI Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, were charged with illegally applying for PUA benefits for themselves and on behalf of inmates from across the state, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. Jones submitted PUA applications for 10 inmates including seven from SC…

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by Nicole Acosta
Fort Lee
News
Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years
Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years A worldwide investigation that produced a 20-year federal prison sentence for an Indian national who ran call centers that defrauded Americans across the U.S. out of millions of dollars got a huge boost from police in Leonia. Leonia Detective Michael Jennings, in particular, did legwork that helped federal authorities eventually identify Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 44, as the ringleader of the transnational scheme. For that reason, police in the Bergen County borough near the George Washington Bridge got a shout-out from the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday. It began in 2015 when Jennings …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Somerset
News
NJ Man Who Vowed To Shoot Pro-Israel Demonstrators, Bomb Trump Tower Admits Supporting Hamas NJ Man Who Vowed To Shoot Pro-Israel Demonstrators, Bomb Trump Tower Admits Supporting Hamas
NJ Man Who Vowed To Shoot Pro-Israel Demonstrators, Bomb Trump Tower Admits Supporting Hamas A Somerset County man who told Instagram followers he was wanted to shoot or run down pro-Israel demonstrators and bomb Trump Tower admitted Tuesday that he secretly supported Hamas. Jonathan Xie, 21, of Basking Ridge admitted during a video conference with a federal judge in Trenton that he wired $100 via Moneygram to a purported member of the Al-Qassam Brigades, a faction of Hamas that has conducted suicide bombings and other attacks on civilians inside Israel, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “Just donated $100 to Hamas,” Xie posted to his Instagram account. “Pretty sure it was illega…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hackensack
Police & Fire
Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million
Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million A married South Jersey couple orchestrated an online dating scam that wooed victims out of more than $6 million, federal authorities said. Martins Friday Inalegwu, 31, and his wife, Steincy Mathieu, 24, both of Burlington County’s Maple Shade, employed several accomplices – many of them living in Nigeria – to romance victims online and then take their money, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. After making initial contact through dating and social media sites with phony identities, the thieves struck up what appeared to be romantic relationships with the victims either throug…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Sussex
News
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Franklin police are warning the public of a recent phone and mail scam. Several residents have reported receiving a phone call or letter stating that they’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, but in order to collect the prize, victims are directed to send money to pay for fees and taxes.  "These types of scams typically direct the victim to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card," Franklin police said. Scammers have also been known to send a realistic-looking check in the mail, which is ultimately found to be fraudulent.&nbs…

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by Cecilia Levine
Nassau
News
Warning Issued For Surge In Online Puppy Scams Warning Issued For Surge In Online Puppy Scams
Warning Issued For Surge In Online Puppy Scams Purchasing a furry friend for the family during the holiday season has always come with risks, but a new report from the Better Business Bureau shows that scams involving online pet purchases are on the rise. The BBB’s Scam Tracker page has reported a surge in entries regarding fake pet and puppy scams for this holiday season. Reports have increased by 39 percent since the BBB released an in-depth investigative study to increase consumer awareness in 2017. More than 16,500 complaints have been received regarding illegitimate sellers and “businesses” selling pets. What’s more alarming are t…

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by Valerie Musson
Cortlandt
Police & Fire
Police Ask Public's Help In Locating ID Theft Suspect Police Ask Public's Help In Locating ID Theft Suspect
Police Ask Public's Help In Locating ID Theft Suspect Police are on the lookout for a man accused of stealing the identity of a Dutchess County man to make fraudulent money orders in Fairfield County. New York State Police say troopers investigated a complaint of identity theft in Beekman after an unknown party made two MoneyGram purchases in Danbury using account information from a victim residing in New York on Saturday, Sept. 21. The suspect, pictured above, purchased two MoneyGram money orders, both in the amount of $1,000.87, at the Walmart in Danbury (67 Newtown Road), according to police. The suspect allegedly used the victim’s stolen C…

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by Valerie Musson
Suffolk NY
News
Scam Alert: Long Island Residents Being Financially Targeted By Phone, Police Warn Scam Alert: Long Island Residents Being Financially Targeted By Phone, Police Warn
Scam Alert: Long Island Residents Being Financially Targeted By Phone, Police Warn Be wary when picking up the phone, police on Long Island warn, as opportunistic fraudsters have been recently making scam calls in attempts to illicit cash from vulnerable individuals. Police on Long Island said "residents are being financially targeted by individuals who are making false statements on the phone. Callers attempt to manipulate recipients into sending them money by pretending to be legitimate entities.” According to police, examples of phone scams include kidnapped or arrested family members; government agencies; utility companies or potential prize winners. Investigators no…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield
News
Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme
Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme An area man will spend time behind bars for fraud and money laundering offenses in connection to a scheme to steal bitcoins in an online phishing scam. Michael Richo, of New Haven, and formerly of Wallingford, has been sentenced in Hartford federal court to a term of 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of money laundering. Richo admitted to engaging in an online phishing scheme to steal bitcoins from people on the dark web, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced. Richo carried out…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant
News
Urgent Consumer Alert For New Phone Scam Issued By State AG Urgent Consumer Alert For New Phone Scam Issued By State AG
Urgent Consumer Alert For New Phone Scam Issued By State AG New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has issued an urgent consumer alert following a rash of reports of a new scam that is making the rounds, targeting New Yorkers. Schneiderman issued the alert on Thursday afternoon, cautioning consumers that there have been reports of a new scam involving opportunistic fraudsters impersonating the Chinese Consulate, demanding payment for a package or to prevent punishment from the office. According to Schneiderman, his office recently received a report that New York consumers were receiving calls from someone falsely claiming to be a representative…

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by Zak Failla
Clarkstown
Police & Fire
Orange & Rockland Warns Customers About Uptick In Scam Attempts Orange & Rockland Warns Customers About Uptick In Scam Attempts
Orange & Rockland Warns Customers About Uptick In Scam Attempts Orange & Rockland customers beware: there are scammers trying to ruin your holiday season. The company announced a significant increase in customers being targeted by impostors claiming to be from Orange & Rockland and demanding immediate payment of a bill. The scammers tell customers their power will be shut off if they do not make the payment, the company said. Scam callers fraudulently claiming to be from Orange & Rockland often tell a customer that service is going to be shut off due to unpaid bills unless the customer purchases a pre-paid card or arranges for a transfer via…

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by Sam Barron