Sunday, March 31, 2013
A New Jersey man is one of three arrested as part of an organized crime ring focusing on area Target stores.
According to the Daily Times, 36-year-old Damian Alexander Gasdaska, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was sentenced to 15 months to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft for his involvement in a sophisticated theft ring targeting area Target stores. According to authorities, Gasdaska and his cohorts would affix lower-priced UPC labels to higher-priced products to defraud Target stores and then sell the products online for profit. The ring netted upwards of $172,000 in the endeavor. Read more about the case here. --- Related Stories Third Man Arrested in Target Theft Ring Montco DA Nabs Target Bandits
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Authorities believe the identity-theft devices were identified and removed quickly.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Thursday, January 24
ATM skimmers ― illicit devices that blend into a cash machine's card slot, then record bank card info for later retrieval by a thief ― were found on two bank ATMs in Montgomery County earlier this month. PhillyBurbs.com reports that the devices were found on Jan. 5 and 6 on the ATMs of Wells Fargo branches on Skippack Pike in Whitpain and Whitemarsh townships. Authorities believe that the devices were discovered quickly and that no customer accounts were compromised. Other skimmers have recently been found on ATMs in Bucks County and in Medford, NJ. Security expert Brian Krebs told KYW Newsradio that ATM skimmers are growing increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot. One way to defend yourself, Krebs said, is to shield your PIN …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Customers purchase pre-paid debit cards that are then drained by fraudsters, the company said.
- BUSINESS
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Thursday, January 17
A scam in which PECO customers are misled into purchasing pre-paid debit cards which are then drained of funds is targeting the Philadelphia region, the electric and gas utility said Thursday. In the scam, customers are contacted by persons who claim to work for PECO and informed that they must make an immediate payment in order to avoid their electricity being shut off. The phony employee then instructs the customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card from a convenience store or similar location, then to provide that card's number. The fraud operators then drain the funds on the card. “We want to make our customers aware of this scam so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of this and other fraudulent activities,” said Mark …
Sunday, November 25, 2012
If you're in the market for a used car, make sure it's not one of the thousands of vehicles damaged during Superstorm Sandy .
The National Insurance Crime Bureau and Amica Insurance warn against inadvertantly purchasing vehicles that were declared total losses as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Amica Insurance released a press release last week, offering tips to help consumers identify and avoid water-damaged cars, which were declared a loss by insurance, then potentially fraudulently resold to new buyers. "Salvage operators and dealers may try to conceal the fact that a car has been damaged," said Shannon O'Brien, an Amica Insurance assistant vice president, "leaving potential buyers as potential victims of a bad deal." The NCIB offers VINCheck, a free consumer protection service to help potential car buyers identify cars which may have sustained flood or other …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Anthony J. DeMarco, III, of Conshohocken, Eric Bascove, of Blue Bell, and two other men pleaded guilty to defrauding homeowners in foreclosure out of millions of dollars.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
According to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office, 33-year old Anthony J. DeMarco, III, of Conshohocken, was sentenced on Monday, Oct. 1, to 25 years in prison for conspiracy and fraud charges in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme involving more than $30 million in loans. Between 2006 and 2009, DeMarco owned and operated DeMarco REI, Inc., a "foreclosure rescue company." Three others charged in the conspiracy with DeMarco also pleaded guilty and were also sentenced today – 39-year-old Eric Bascove, of Blue Bell, was sentenced to 41 months in prison; 38-year-old Sean Ryan McBride, of Pittsburgh, was sentenced to 63 months in prison; and 30-year-old Michael Richard Roberts, of Swedesboro, N.J., was sentenced to 10 years in …
Monday, October 1, 2012
An Allentown man was added to the list of defendants in 'Operation Hard Target' – a sophisticated theft ring that allegedly defrauded Target stores throughout Pennsylvania of more than $20,000.
Chance Cameron, of Allentown, was the third man arrested for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated theft ring, in which suspects are accused of affixing lower-priced UPC labels to higher-priced products to defraud Target stores and selling the products online for profit, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's office. Cameron's arrest was announced when one of the other defendants in "Operation Hard Target," Eugene Joseph Romano of Center Valley, Pa., appeared in a Montgomery County court room last week. According to a complaint filed in District Court 38-1-03, Romano 34, and Cameron, 35, have been charged along with Damian Gasdaska of Phillipsburg, NJ, with committing 46 individual retail thefts at Target Stores in …
Monday, September 24, 2012
According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, well-known internet scams are being updated with new angles to rope in new victims.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a report based on information from law enforcement and complaints submitted to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) detailing recent cyber crime trends and new twists to previously-existing cyber scams. The Triangle Credit Card Fraud is a common scam known to affect many on-line merchants. It has been called "Triangle Credit Card Fraud" because there are three primary parties involved or impacted by the scam. The first party is the fraudster who acts as a seller on a popular auction or marketplace site. The fraudster "sells" a product to the second party, the buyer that knows nothing about the scam. The buyer pays the seller for the product or service. The seller then needs to …
Sunday, September 16, 2012
According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, lawyer's identities are being used to set up fake websites for solicitation.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
According to a release issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a recent scam has surfaced in which the identify of a Texas attorney who had not practiced in years was used to set up a fake law firm website using the attorney's maiden name, former office address, and portions of her professional biography. Other attorneys have complained about the use of their names and professional information to solicit legal work. All attorneys should be on the alert to this scam. If you become aware of the same or a similar, situation involving your name/law firm you should immediately report the incident to local authorities, your state Bar Association and the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Additionally, be sure to closely …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Philadelphia Police Officer John Hoesle was arrested by Montgomery County authorities in connection with an elaborate scheme to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million.
According to a release issued by Philadelphia Police, on Thursday, Aug. 9, Philadelphia Police Officer John Hoesle was arrested by Montgomery County authorities and charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy and related charges in connection with an elaborate scheme by a "criminal organization" to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million. The 42 year-old Hoesle is a 15-year veteran of the police department who was assigned to the 15th District. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey is suspending Hoesle for thirty days with the intent to dismiss him. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman announced the arrests of five "top members of an elaborate criminal organization" who were responsible for…
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Montgomery County District Attorney Ferman says ringleaders lived lavish lifestyles.
[This article was updated at 5:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7] Five people have been arrested and warrants issued for 17 others in an elaborate scheme to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million between April 2011 and April 2012, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said Tuesday. The district attorney's office said Alston Buchanan, 28; Leighton Harrell, 26; Kendall Singleton, 26; and Richard Justin Spraggins, 29, all of Philadelphia; and Nicholas Caputo, 31, of Virginia Beach, Va., were "top members of an elaborate criminal organization" that led Comcast customers to make one-time payments to them in exchange for a one-time reduction in their Comcast service bills. "This is a corrupt organization involving a number of individuals …
Scott Johnson
12:53 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Another scam everyone should be aware of is the Amway Tool Scam. Google "Stop The Amway Tool Scam Wordpress" for more information, and forward this to every non-Distributor/IBO you know, so they don't get scammed. more ›