Cleveland, OH
FBI Cleveland Warns of Holiday Scams During the Shopping Season
[Cleveland, OH] (12-6-24) The FBI Cleveland Field Office is warning the public of common holiday scams during the 2024 shopping season.
With the holidays upon us and seasonal shopping in full gear, criminals are set to look for opportunities to take advantage of consumers. The FBI is encouraging shoppers to be vigilant for scams that are designed to steal their money and personal information.
The two most prevalent holiday scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes. In Ohio, non-payment or non-delivery totaled over $5.0 million and credit card/check fraud totaled over $6.2 million.
The FBIs definition for Non-Payment/Non-Delivery:
Goods or services are shipped, and payment is never rendered (nonpayment) or payment is sent, and goods or services are never received, or are of lesser quality (non-delivery).
Greg Nelsen, FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge
“Criminals don’t take the holidays off. With so many consumers engaged in holiday shopping, whether in person or online, the capacity to target and scam unsuspecting shoppers grows infinitely. More so, scammers capitalize on our trust and have become quite savvy to our shopping habits. The FBI continues to see an uptick in victims who thought they were shopping through a reputable, valid online vendor, only to discover they’ve either provided their financial or credit card information to a nefarious third party or, after waiting weeks for a purchase to arrive, realize they’ve been scammed.
Some of the common holiday scams the FBI warns of are:
- Online shopping scams – Scammers offer deals through phishing e-mails or advertisements.
- Social media scams – Scammers use social media sites that appear to offer vouchers or gift cards. These scams often lead consumers to complete online surveys designed to steal personal information.
- Smartphone app scams – Scammers design mobile apps disguised as free games that steal personal information.
- Work-from-home scams – Scammers use websites and social media posts that offer working from home. Convenience is the attention grabber, but there may be fraudulent intentions.
- Gift card scams – Victims receive a spoofed e-mail, call, or text asking them to purchase multiple gift cards for person or business reasons.
- Charity scams – Criminals set up false charities and profit from individuals who believe they are donating to legitimate organizations.
Scams take many forms, but if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Some precautions:
- Do not open any unsolicited emails or click on any links if they do open the email.
- Remember to secure banking and credit accounts with strong and different passwords and secure all other accounts that contain anything of value, such as: rewards accounts, online accounts that save payment information, and accounts containing private and personal information.
- Steer clear of untrustworthy sites or ads offering items at unrealistic discounts or with special coupons.
- Use caution and take a pause to verify when downloading mobile applications.
- Consumers should be vigilant when receiving items purchased from online auctions and third-party marketplaces.
If you believe you are victim of a scam, contact your financial institution immediately. You should also contact your local law enforcement agency and file a complaint with the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov.
For more information on holiday scams, visit www.fbi.gov/holidayscams.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Heinen’s Grocery Store announced on Friday that it will be closing its downtown Cleveland location on the corner of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue.
This last day will be on July 31.
The store first opened in 2015.
All associates at the downtown store will be offered roles at other Heinen’s locations, and there will be no layoffs, the release said. This decision affects only the Downtown Cleveland location.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb shared the following statement after the announcement was released:
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
The Cleveland Cavaliers added another guard to their logjam at the position during the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
Arkansas guard Maleek Thomas was one of the best players remaining on the board when the Cavaliers were on the clock at No. 34 overall, which they acquired from the Sacramento Kings in a trade back out of No. 29 overall on Tuesday night’s Round 1.
So Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman took Thomas off of the board, opting to select the best player available instead of drafting for fit, as Cleveland still has a dire need on the wing and backup center.
“When you’re picking at No. 34, you don’t have the luxury to say ‘let’s pick for fit,’” Altman said after the selection on Wednesday night.
It’s clear that the longtime basketball executive understands that Thomas doesn’t necessarily fit this current version of the Cavaliers. They’re expecting veteran point guard James Harden to return on a new contract. They also still employ Dennis Schroder, Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter Jr., who just saw his contract option exercised by the Cavaliers.
Altman admitted that with so many guards to account for on the roster, the hard part will be figuring out how it all fits together.
Who is the odd man out?
It’s very possible that the reason why the Cavaliers traded out of No. 29 overall was due to financial reasons.
At No. 29, the Cavaliers really liked Thomas, and he probably would’ve been their selection. Even though he’s another small guard, he loves the game of basketball and comes from head coach John Calipari, which is as close to NBA coaching that you’ll find in the NBA.
But in Round 2, the Cavs could give Thomas a non-guaranteed two-way deal that would have the 19-year-old point guard split time between the Cavaliers and Cleveland’s G League affiliate Charge.
This makes life uncomfortable for Porter Jr., even though his option was just exercised. He’s on the final year of a deal, and could be included in a trade package as a sweetener. Of course, none of Cleveland’s guards aside from Harden should be untouchable in big trade packages that could help solve the team’s holes on the wing and in the frontcourt.
Schroder could be dealt as well because of his big salary.
Even though he doesn’t seamlessly fit, the Cavaliers found a way to get a first-round talent in Day 2 of the NBA Draft. It was a talented class and Thomas could be a gem.
But Altman needs to find a way to better construct this roster before the season comes around.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The man wanted for the 2024 murder of a Northeast Ohio rapper in Cleveland, was arrested Thursday by members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.
The U.S. Marshals said Steven Smith, 27, was taken into custody at a home in the 15900 block of Invermere Ave. in Cleveland.
Smith is accused of fatally shooting Carlos Banks, 28, on Dec. 29. 2024 inside an apartment at 5115 The Rising.
This is in the city’s Slavic Village neighborhood.
Cleveland EMS pronounced Banks dead at the scene.
Also known by stage name KashBankx, the 28-year-old had amassed thousands of social media followers with his rap career.
19 News previously spoke with community journalist Jaylyn King who says he’s interviewed Banks multiple times about his music career.
“Normally Cleveland has a set sound that’s really repetitive,’ said King. “He (Banks) was one that stood out and was very different than other artists”.
“This is big because he touched and influenced so many people,” said King “Even outside of music”.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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