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FBI Cleveland warns shoppers about holiday scams

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FBI Cleveland warns shoppers about holiday scams


CLEVELAND, Ohio — The FBI Cleveland Field Office is warning shoppers to watch out for scams this holiday season.


What You Need To Know

  • FBI Cleveland is warning holiday shoppers to watch out for scams that steal money and personal information
  • Common scams include fake online stores, phishing emails, gift card payment requests and fake charities
  • If you’re scammed, contact your bank right away and file a report within 72 hours for the best chance to recover your money

Criminals are trying to steal money and personal information from holiday shoppers.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported it receives more than 800,000 scam complaints each year, phishing and spoofing being the most common.

Ohio ranked seventh in fraud complaints in 2024. The top scams nationwide in 2024 were:

  • Investment scams caused over $6.57 million in total losses (not including cryptocurrency investment fraud losses)
  • Business email compromises caused over $2.77 million total losses
  • Tech support impersonations caused over $1.46 million total losses
  • Personal data breaches caused over $1.45 million total losses
  • Non-payments/non-deliveries caused over $785 thousand total losses

Northern Ohio has seen investment scams, tech and government scams and business email fraud most often.

“While it may seem like an uptick during the holidays, the reality is as the volume of shopping transactions increase, so does fraudulent activity,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Scammers are working every day of the year; there are simply more opportunities during the holidays. Anyone, regardless of their age or how tech-savvy one may be, can become a victim, whether conducting a transaction in person or online, someone with criminal intent will find their next victim.”

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Many victims think they’re buying from real online stores but end up giving criminals their credit card information or never receiving items they paid for.

Common holiday scams include fake online shopping deals through phishing emails, non-delivery scams where items never arrive, social media scams offering fake gift cards, fake smartphone apps that steal information, work-from-home scams promising easy money, gift card payment requests and fake charities.

The FBI offers tips to avoid these scams:

  • Don’t open suspicious emails or click on unknown links
  • Don’t scan QR codes from unsolicited packages
  • Use strong, different passwords for banking and credit accounts
  • Avoid websites or ads offering unrealistic discounts
  • Be careful when downloading mobile apps
  • Never wire money directly to sellers. Don’t pay with pre-paid gift cards
  • Use a credit card for online shopping and check statements regularly
  • Keep all evidence like texts, emails, screenshots and phone numbers when reporting
  • If a scammer threatens you or tells you to buy gift cards or gold bars, hang up and call the FBI or police

The FBI reminds residents to apply the idea, “If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you’re scammed, contact your bank immediately. Also contact local police and file a complaint at www.IC3.gov within 72 hours for the best chance of recovering funds.



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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Cavaliers Trade out of No. 29 Overall in 2026 NBA Draft

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Cleveland Cavaliers Trade out of No. 29 Overall in 2026 NBA Draft


The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded out of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Cavs had the No. 29 overall selection on Tuesday night. But Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman decided to trade that selection to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for No. 34 overall and a future second-round selection.

At No. 29 overall, the Cavs will send the Kings UConn forward Alex Karaban.

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“It’s in the distant future,” a source told cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor about the future second-round selection acquired in this deal.

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Reports from Fedor surfaced early Tuesday morning that the Cavaliers could be interested in bailing out of the first round. By late Tuesday night, Altman was able to execute a trade that sets the Cavs up for further flexibility in the offseason.

Why the Cavs traded out of No. 29 overall

The Cavaliers would’ve owed the No. 29 pick a guaranteed salary just under $2 million.

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Because the Cavs are in the lone second apron – and could be looking to shed salary this offseason – ditching the No. 29 overall pick saves the Cavaliers a couple of bucks.

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Second round picks are non-guaranteed, two-way deals. That gives the Cavs the financial flexibility they’re looking for. 

What the Cavs could do at No. 34 overall

This is a talented draft class. A few high profile players slid into the second round. 

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UNC center Henri Veesaar is still waiting to hear his name called. The 7-foot center could be a backup to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Duke wing Isaiah Evans is also still waiting to hear his name called, and could fill a big position of need for the Cavaliers. Arkansas guard Maleek Thomas was consistently mocked to Cleveland, and he slid to Day 2 as well.

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There’s always a chance that Altman could trade back again.

Second round draft picks are valuable because they could be used as sweeteners in trades this offseason. For example, in exchange for a team taking on the contract of a player like Dennis Schroder or Max Strus, the Cavaliers might want to attach a second round draft pick to make the package more appealing to a trade partner.

Flexibility should be the name of the game for Altman as he tries to improve Cleveland’s roster this offseason. The Cavs won’t have a first round draft pick until 2028. But bailing out of Tuesday night’s first round will give Altman plenty of options on Wednesday and into the rest of the offseason.

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Cleveland, OH

Max McEnelly Lands High-Profile Matchup With Bo Nickal at RAF

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Max McEnelly Lands High-Profile Matchup With Bo Nickal at RAF


University of Minnesota star wrestler Max McEnelly won the 2026 NCAA national championship at 184 pounds, and he’s now set to face superstar Bo Nickal at Real American Freestyle (RAF) 12 on August 22nd in Cleveland, Ohio.

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McEnelly is preparing for his redshirt junior season with the Gophers, and Nickal is 9-1 as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, following a storied collegiate wrestling career at Penn State. Their freestyle wrestling match will be contested at 215 pounds.

RAF is an American freestyle wrestling promotion that was founded by Chad Bronstein, Terri Francis, and Hulk Hogan in 2025. The August 22nd show at Rocket Arena will be the one-year anniversary of the promotion. The fights will be broadcast on FOX Nation.

Nickal most recently competed at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, where he defeated Kyle Daukas via first-round finish. He’s now 6-1 in his UFC career. His match against McEnelly will be his second under RAF. He defeated Jacob Cardenas via decision at the promotion’s first show last summer.

Nickal is 6-foot-1, and he wrestled at 197 pounds at Penn State. He competes at the 185-pound middweight division in the UFC, so he might have a slight size advantage over McEnelly, who’s 5-foot-10. The event will be a high-profile opportunity, as McEnelly continues to establish himself as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country.

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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland man dies after fatal shooting at gas station

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Cleveland man dies after fatal shooting at gas station


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A man was killed Friday after being shot at a gas station on the city’s East side.

Cleveland police said they responded to the Sunoco in the 3300 block of E. 93rd St. around 8:30 p.m.

According to police, officers were in the area when they heard gunshots.

When officers arrived at the gas station, they found the victim with gunshot wounds.

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Officers immediately began to provide first aid until EMS arrived and transported him to University Hospitals.

Carl Formby, 49, died from his injuries at the hospital.

Officers said they found two firearms and several casings at the scene.

The Cleveland Police Homicide Unit is investigating the incident.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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