The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, folks if you receive an email from ekaterina@theridgewoodblog.ai, asking me to fill my personal info on some Google form to participate in some ‘bitcoin giveaway’ it is a scam . This is not a the Ridgewood blog email and has nothing to do with us .
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that the Division of Consumer Affairs has issued a consumer alert on gift card scams along with guidelines for retailers to train their employees on signs that a consumer is falling victim to this common form of fraud.
“A warning to my neighbors, Instacart seems like a phishing or identity theft scam. There isn’t enough room here to say as many bad things about this company , lets start with incompetent time wasting stupidity .”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that New Jersey student loan borrowers will receive over $60 million in relief from a settlement with Navient Corp. and its subsidiary Navient Solutions LLC (Navient) that resolves a 2020 lawsuit filed by the State against the student loan servicing giant. The State’s lawsuit alleged that Navient engaged in unconscionable commercial practices, deceptive conduct, and misrepresentations when servicing thousands of New Jersey consumers’ student loans over the past decade – boosting company profits at the expense of struggling borrowers.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Elizabeth Holmes the Founder of Theranos and a one time Silicon Valley wonderkid a poster child for millennial brilliance has been convicted on multiple counts of fraud after a months-long federal trial. Holmes rise to fame was legendary and she became the focus of the John Carreyrou book called “Bad Blood” .
Continue reading Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes found guilty of 4 fraud-related charges
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Glen Rock NJ, during this past week, the Glen Rock Police Department received two additional reports from residents concerning fraudulent unemployment claims. In each case unknown actor(s) used their personal information to apply for unemployment. The detective bureau continues to receive ongoing complaints of this nature and is working with the NJ Division of Criminal Justice which is the lead investigating agency on fraudulent unemployment claims being filed throughout the state.
Continue reading Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Run Rampant in Bergen County
by Ari Lazarus
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
If you’re a college student, faculty, or staff member, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one. IRS imposters are sending phishing emails to people with “.edu” email addresses, saying they have information about your “tax refund payment.” What do they really want? Your personal information.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Twp of Washington NJ, the Township of Washington Police Department would like to remind all residents that the Washington Township Baseball and Softball Association will NOT solicit sponsorships by calling residents requesting money for the Washington Township Baseball and Softball Program. Please do not give any money or any personal information to anyone over the phone unless you know who they are. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Washington Township Police at 201-664-1140.
Continue reading Township of Washington Police Department Warn of Baseball/softball Call Scammers
It is an unfortunate reality that there are unscrupulous people out there who wish to take advantage of trusting individuals and families. People commit scams for many reasons, disguising themselves as respectable agents or corporations when in truth they are just out to steal your money and run.
Continue reading Vacation Scams That Easily Can Trick Anyone
by Cristina Miranda
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Ridgewood NJ, Yesterday some high-profile people had their Twitter accounts hacked by scammers who sent out fake tweets asking followers to send money using Bitcoin – a type of cryptocurrency or digital money.
Cryptocurrency scams are now a popular way for scammers to trick people into sending money. And they pop up in many ways. Most crypto scams can appear as emails trying to blackmail someone, online chain referral schemes, or bogus investment and business opportunities. But here’s what they all have in common – and what they have in common with yesterday’s Twitter hacks: A scammer wants you to send money, or make a payment, with Bitcoin or another type of cryptocurrency. Once you do, your money is gone, and there’s generally no way to get it back.
So if you see a tweet (or a text, email, or other message on social media) that tells you to pay with Bitcoin, you know that’s a scam. Other signs that something’s a scam? They might guarantee that you’ll make money (those guarantees are false); promise that you’ll double your money quickly (again, that’s always a fake promise); or say you’ll get free money in dollars or cryptocurrency (free money? Nope, not ever).
If you spot a cryptocurrency scam, report it immediately to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. For more information, check out What To Know About Cryptocurrency.
Ridgewood NJ, Hey college students: even though you’re likely far from campus, scammers are still trying to find you.
Maybe you or your friends have gotten an email claiming to be from the “Financial Department” of your university. The email tells you to click on a link to get a message about your COVID-19 economic stimulus check — and it needs to be opened through a portal link requiring your university login. Don’t do it. It’s a phishing scam. If you click to “log in,” you could be giving your user name, password, or other personal information to scammers, while possibly downloading malware onto your device.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Oradell NJ,Oradell Police are warning that an individual pretending to be a PSE&G employee is calling senior customers offering a bogus discount. The caller has an aggressive approach and requests customers POD ID. PSE&G will never ask for personal information over the phone unless you initiated the contact. If you think you may have been a victim of a scam, call 1-800-436-PSEG(7734).
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Wednesday the launch of Operation Stolen Promise to combat COVID-19 related fraud and other criminal activity. The operation intensifies collaboration with multiple federal departments and agencies, along with business and industry representatives. Surging criminal activity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic requires an equally robust investigative response to protect the American public.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Twp of Washington NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced today the arrests of COREY EASTMAN (DOB: 10/08/1992; single; unemployed) of 5169 Elvena Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ; DEVON ORTIZ (DOB: 11/18/1991; single; unemployed) of 4333 Howland Street, Philadelphia, PA; and JULIA MONTGOMERY (DOB: 02/14/1993; single; unemployed) of 7767 Marion Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ on charges of Conspiracy To Commit Impersonation/Identity Theft, Conspiracy To Commit Theft By Deception, and Conspiracy To Commit Financial Facilitation Of Criminal Activity. ORTIZ was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest. The arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Tenafly Police Department under the direction of Chief Robert Chamberlain.
Continue reading THREE SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN GRANDPARENT SCAM
