Northeast

Authorities sound alarm on 'gold bar scam' thats swindled millions from seniors

Published

2 years ago

August 14, 2024

Authorities sound alarm on 'gold bar scam' thats swindled millions from seniors

The FBI and authorities in Maryland are warning seniors to be on the lookout for scammers who have swindled millions of dollars from people in what’s being described as the “gold bar scam.”

The scam typically begins with pop-up ads or phone calls, where suspects pose as federal agents and instruct victims to convert their assets into gold bars for “safekeeping” by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Fox 5 DC reports.

Seven victims have collectively lost $6.3 million in the con with investigators looking into at least another dozen more cases. The victims are aged from between 61 and 94 years of age.

“People are losing their life savings, their homes, their trust, their security,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Bill DelBagno said at a press briefing on Monday.

GOLD BARS STASHED IN DEM SENATOR’S HOME RECOVERED AFTER 2013 VIOLENT ROBBERY

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy speaking at the press briefing (Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office John McCarthy via Facebook)

“Unfortunately, it’s happening across the United States, and it’s happening here in Maryland,” he said.

The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office says that four criminal cases involving five defendants are now pending in the state, but there are additional cases under investigation. Some of the money stolen came from cash pick-ups and cryptocurrency.

Among those arrested was Vipul Thakkar, 52, of Baltimore County, who was caught in a sting operation while allegedly attempting to steal more than 1 million dollars in gold bars from a 74-year-old man, according to the outlet.

DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB MENENDEZ GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES IN FEDERAL CORRUPTION TRIAL

Stacks of 40 Troy ounce high fine gold bars are seen in a subcompartment of the vault inside the United States Mint in West Point, New York. (Daniel Barry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The victim had made nine trips to a local gold store to convert his cash into gold. He contacted authorities after recognizing the scam from news reports.

In another case, Ravinkle Mathon was arrested for attempting to steal $200,000 from an elderly Maryland man in his early 90s. The man’s concerned friends tipped off police, preventing the theft of his life savings.

The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office is advising residents to protect themselves by not answering calls from unknown numbers and avoiding clicks on pop-up ads when using their computers.

“The reality is, once you’re a victim of one of these scams, the chances of getting your money back are not high,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Montgomery County Police Department vehicle on display. (Montgomery County Police Department)

McCarthy said that the investigation has links to India and China, with some of the calls targeting vulnerable people originating from call centers.

“Once you’re a victim of one of these scams, the chances of getting your money back is not high,” McCarty said, adding that none of the money stolen thus far has been recovered.

“Some [people] are potentially losing their homes.”

He said he fears there are potentially more victims as some victims are afraid to come forward after being scammed. He pleaded with those victims to come forward.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

Read the full article from Here

Boston, MA

Expect a brilliant blue sky for Monday with cooler readings. Enjoy it, because the heat returns this week. – The Boston Globe

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2026

Press Room

Expect a brilliant blue sky for Monday with cooler readings. Enjoy it, because the heat returns this week. – The Boston Globe

A frontal system will push south of the region overnight, allowing for a brief cooldown in our New England weather on Monday before another stretch of heat this week. Overall, it’s going to be dry and significantly warmer than average. I would say that the temperatures are the bigger issue, with very warm conditions expected.

Temperatures on Monday will be in the ideal range, generally in the mid-70s. Dew points will be comfortable, and there won’t be much wind, although at times it may rustle the leaves a bit.

Winds will be noticeable at times on Monday, but will be held below 20 mph for most areas.Boston Globe

Highs across Southern New England will be coolest by the coast on Monday.Boston Globe

Monday night brings some beautiful weather with temperatures in the 50s, maybe even in the upper 40s in the cooler spots. Boston is likely to stay around 60. Certainly great sleeping weather all-around.

As high pressure pushes off the Atlantic Seaboard and the flow of warmer air returns, temperatures will quickly respond, and it’s back to approaching the upper 80s to even near 90 practically every day this week — and it could be even warmer this weekend. It’s worth remembering that an official heat wave is three days in a row of 90-degree weather. It remains to be seen if any parts of Southern New England sees a heat wave, but it’s definitely a possibility. It’s also worth noting that 90 is just random; some days at 87 degrees can certainly feel worse than a 90-degree day, so the theme here is to prepare for warmer and more humid weather this week.

The forecast across Boston for the next seven days.Boston Globe

The drought conditions are almost not worth talking about because until we have a significant shift in the weather pattern, we will continue with a drought for most areas. It may worsen, it may get a little bit better, but we’re definitely in the time of the year where rainfall is more sporadic. The best thing is to remember to water plants and lawns early in the morning, follow any town water bans or restrictions, and avoid planting in the heat.

Our next chance of precipitation comes late Wednesday.

Showers will return to New England on Wednesday evening.Boston Globe

Greater Boston: Sunny skies both Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures Monday in the mid-70s and Tuesday in the upper 80s.

Central/Western Mass.: Look for brilliant blue skies on Monday with temperatures in the 70s. It’s 83 to 88 on Tuesday with more sunshine.

Southeastern Mass.: Temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 70s on Monday, along with plenty of sunshine. It’ll be in the low to perhaps mid-80s away from the ocean on Tuesday with more sunny skies.

Cape Cod and the islands: Two picture perfect days are on the way with lots of sunshine. Readings will be in the 70s on Monday and approaching 80 on Tuesday except 60s on Nantucket.

Rhode Island: Sunshine on Monday and Tuesday. It’ll be in the 70s on Monday and 80s on Tuesday.

New Hampshire: With readings in the 70s, it’ll be very comfortable on Monday, but heating up to the mid-80s on Tuesday with more sunshine.

Sign up here for our daily Globe Weather Forecast that will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each weekday morning.

Source link

Pittsburg, PA

‘Nonsense’: Country singer hits back with real reason why show was cancelled

Published

2 hours ago

June 7, 2026

Press Room

‘Nonsense’: Country singer hits back with real reason why show was cancelled

Morgan Wallen has made plenty of headlines in recent days, but he’s been forced to speak out about “nonsense” rumours after cancelling a recent show.

The singer, 33, addressed why he cancelled his Pittsburgh show over the weekend on his Instagram stories on Sunday, days after his mid-performance meltdown.

Country singer Morgan Wallen has hit back at the ‘nonsense’ surrounding his recently cancelled show in Pittsburgh due to wind. Instagram/@morganwallen

“This morning, my team walked on the bus and told me they had been consulting with local officials and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh tonight and I said, ‘Why?’” the country singer explained.

“They said that there was going to be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So, that is what I did in that moment, and I trusted my team.”

Wallen said that he was aware that the forecasted winds hadn’t hit Pittsburg, but had hit nearby areas in Pennsylvania, which was a big reason why they made the call to cancel.

“The truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So, I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment,” he continued.

Wallen then hit back at rumours that have been swirling around because he wanted to clear the air.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air,” he continued.

“I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it.”

Wallen’s video came hours after it was announced that the second Pittsburgh show of his Still The Problem Tour was cancelled.

“After talking with local officials and my team, there is no choice but to cancel tonight’s show due to severe adverse weather conditions expected throughout the rest of the day and night,” he wrote online.

“Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority.”

Wallen added that refunds would also be available for ticket holders.

Morgan Wallen — The singer’s stadium tour will continue until August 1. Getty

But fans were not impressed and plenty of people slammed him for cancelling the show, even though the weather had reportedly cleared before he would have hit the stage.

Wallen made headlines earlier this month after an on-stage meltdown when he experienced issues with his piano on stage, flipping it and breaking it in front of the audience.