NOTTINGHAM, MD—”This is an urgent message about your grandchild. I’m their lawyer. They’ve been involved in an accident and arrested for reckless driving. They need $10,000 to pay their bail so that they don’t have to stay in jail for six months.” Legit? No, this is fraud, and police say it’s costing older citizens in Baltimore County thousands of dollars. […]
BALTIMORE, MD—An updated version of a common scam targeting business owners is once again making the rounds. The Office of the Attorney General has received information that businesses in Maryland have been receiving a letter entitled “2020 Certificate of Good Standing Request Form” that requests a fee in exchange for a letter of good standing with an “official seal of […]
NOTTINGHAM, MD—As more of the population ventures out, it increases their chances of being exposed to COVID-19. This could lead to a call from a Maryland Department of Health contact tracer who tracks residents’ whereabouts as well as with whom they have been in contact in recent weeks. The Federal Trade Commission, Maryland Department of Health, and Baltimore County Police […]
ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Federal Trade Commission has reported that scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the coronavirus, including through the sale of counterfeit products and the solicitation of money and personal information. When charities request donations in response to the coronavirus, Marylanders may feel duty-bound to donate in an effort to help their neighbors. Maryland’s Secretary of State John C. […]
BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and a bipartisan coalition of 25 state attorneys general this week submitted a comment letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking the agency to strengthen its rules prohibiting websites, mobile apps, and other digital marketing companies from collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 and using that information to […]
UPDATE: A 2020 version of this scam is now making the rounds – read more. Original story below… —— BALTIMORE, MD—The Office of the Attorney General has received information indicating that businesses in Maryland have been receiving a letter entitled “2019 Certificate of Good Standing Request Form.” The letter requests a fee in exchange for a letter of good standing […]
BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh’s Consumer Protection Division warned consumers on Monday of a lottery mail scam targeting local residents. The scam letter claims the recipient has won the Mega Millions International Lottery 2019 Draw and includes a counterfeit reproduction of the Maryland Mega Millions logo. The sender of the letter has no affiliation with the Mega Millions […]
BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh warned Marylanders on Wednesday that scammers are contacting individuals claiming they are entitled to, or have been awarded a Community Development Block Grant, Community Services Block Grant, or CSBG for seniors. These solicitations are scams designed to obtain personal information and/or money in the form of upfront fees (in one reported case, the […]