Columbus, OH

Coffee County, GA

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Broxton, GA

Daily Coffee Press

This weekend, a man from Pridgen was charged after he allegedly became aggressive toward local deputies who were working security detail at a location in Broxton. According to the report, the suspect threatened to kill the deputies during the incident, which led to his arrest.

Man Charged with Threatening Coffee County Sheriff's Office Deputies

Parking tickets are the latest vector for scammers to empty out bank accounts from New York to Southern California. Calgary became the latest North American city to address the growing trend of fake tickets on Tuesday. The Canadian city’s parking authority advised drivers to destroy fake tickets that are cropping on windshields and not to attempt to pay those fines.

Bank accounts are being emptied thanks to scammers using fake parking tickets

Booneville, MS

Mississippi News Group

Written with artificial intelligence assistance. The Prentiss County Grand Jury has handed down indictments against two Booneville residents on charges of child endangerment, according to the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department.

Two Women Indicted for Child Endangerment

Senior citizens are often targets for scams, and as scams are getting more sophisticated, it’s getting easier to deceive even the most tech-savvy person. Elder fraud involves a variety of scams targeting seniors, from fake prizes to pleas for help from their “grandchildren,” resulting in an annual loss of $3 billion, according to the FBI. Seniors are often targeted due to their good credit, financial security, and trusting nature. Here are the top elderly fraud scams of the year:

Top 12 elderly fraud scams of 2024

Los Angeles, CA

Las Vegas, NV

SAN DIEGO, California — An indictment unsealed today alleges that five individuals participated in a massive fraud and money laundering scheme resulting in losses of more than $27 million to over 2,000 seniors. During a coordinated law enforcement operation this morning in Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada,...

Five arrested in $27 million fraud scheme targeting seniors

Georgia State

Atlanta, GA

A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to over 28 years in prison for distributing significant amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances to dealers in the Middle Georgia region. Authorities revealed that investigators uncovered evidence linking the drugs provided by the defendant, 40-year-old Lagary Williams, also known as "Frog," from Atlanta, to a fatal overdose.

Atlanta Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Supplying Deadly Fentanyl Linked to Fatal Overdose

Colorado State

David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

A historic marker could be erected to honor the victims of the racist mass shooting at the Dollar General store in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood nearly a year ago. If approved by the Jacksonville City Council, a marker would be installed at Kings Road and Canal Street on Aug. 25, a day before the first anniversary of the shooting, when a white gunman took the lives of three Black people.

Memorial considered to honor Dollar General victims

With the emergence of AI and other new technologies, people have become more susceptible to scams online, especially older people. Seniors are targeted by scammers due to their little knowledge of the internet, so here are five scams that older people should look out for. If someone calls you claiming to be a government department and is asking for money, you should hang up, as that isn’t standard procedure and is likely a scam. While it may be a dream come true to receive a call telling you that you won the lottery, it is definitely a scam and you should hang up. If you receive an email that claims to be from Amazon and is asking for personal information, check the email address it comes from. Some scammers will ring you and say, “Can you hear me?” and while you may reply "yes," you should try not to, as they are recording your voice. Lastly, if you get a message from someone claiming to be a relative who is asking for money, make sure you verify the number.

5 Scams That Seniors Need To Avoid

Ohio State

The Lantern

On Tuesday, licensed Ohio dispensaries began legally selling non-medical marijuana to consumers; however, the drug’s possession, growth and/or usage are still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS [Original caption: Four citizen-led petitions with proposals to update Dallas’ charter hit the 20,000 valid signature threshold to make it on the Nov. 5 election ballot, including one that would ban police officers from arresting or citing people carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.] As of Tuesday, students 21 and older can now legally purchase marijuana in Ohio.

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

Tom's Guide

Scammers are calling victims on the phone impersonating their bank while an accomplice goes to their home to get the chip and PIN from their debit card.

FBI issues warning over scammers impersonating banks to steal your debit cards

Orange County, CA

Corcoran, CA

NewSantaAna

CORCORAN – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the July 28, 2024, death of an incarcerated person at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility as a homicide.

Pimp arrested in Orange County killed by an inmate at a state prison

The Department of Veterans Affairs has established both a web site – VSAFE.gov – and a toll-free telephone number – 1-833-38V-SAFE (1-833-388-7233), to educate veterans and their families about scams targeting their benefits, and serve as a clearinghouse to report fraud or suspected fraud. Through the web...

VA Sets Up Fraud-Watch Call Center

Parade

There are multiple ways to block your phone number when calling someone.

Need to Make a Private Call? Here's How to Block Your Number

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

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Trailer Empire

In a high-stakes ruling, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has mandated over $12 million in refunds for victims of a fraudulent real estate scheme involving prominent HGTV personalities Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa. The landmark decision highlights the growing scrutiny on celebrity-endorsed ventures and the impact of misleading investment schemes.

Federal Trade Commission Orders $12M Refunds for Victims of HGTV Stars' Real Estate Scheme

Texas State

No further specifics were given, but these schemes typically involve fraudsters tricking employees at a company — often in finance or with access to the executive suite — into initiating a bank transfer of company funds to a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. These schemes can involve the hacking of email accounts used by executives to send fraudulent instructions to staff on their behalf, or even use deepfakes in efforts to trick unsuspecting employees into transferring funds.

Texas firm says it lost $60M in a bank wire transfer scam

Tampa, FL

Three men and a woman have been arrested on murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Charles Jones , a Jacksonville rapper known as Julio Foolio,” outside a hotel in Tampa.

4 arrested in slaying of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio

Denver, CO

In addition to collecting more than 8,000 used needles in the past year from Denver drug users, the Harm Reduction Action Center passed out 10,000 meth pipes and “snort kits,” according to a newsletter sent to its supporters Thursday. They also connected about 1,700 people to medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Denver group hands out 10K meth pipes, ‘snort kits,’ connects 1,700 to treatment annually

Migrants enrolled in the Denver Asylum Seekers Program won’t get cash benefits after all. The council amended a contract with Haven for Hope during the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee meeting Wednesday. Instead of Haven of Hope providing migrants with cash assistance on debit cards, it will instead provide “culturally appropriate” food.

Denver revokes cash assistance for migrants

Minnesota State

Fox News

Former Minnesota small business owner Lisa Hanson sounds the alarm on Gov. Tim Walz's leadership after she was jailed for challenging the executive's COVID policies.

Grandma jailed for defying Walz's COVID rules issues stark warning: 'America needs to know'

NewsBreak

Anoka County Sheriff's Office Warns of Scammers Impersonating Officers for Cash Extortion

Another wave of scam calls is racking the nerves of our community members, with tricksters masquerading as law enforcement officers to swindle individuals out of their...

Anoka County Sheriff's Office Warns of Scammers Impersonating Officers for Cash Extortion

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