Los Angeles, Ca

Scammers posing as deputies increasingly targeting Southern California residents

Published

11 months ago

February 18, 2024

Scammers posing as deputies increasingly targeting Southern California residents

A disturbing new trend is targeting Southern Californians as scammers are now masquerading as local law enforcement.

Although these phone scams have been around for some time, modern versions have grown increasingly sophisticated and convincing to unsuspecting victims.

The scam call will often sound authoritative and create a sense of urgency. That’s the type of voicemail Carolyn Jaques received one day while working at her spa in Pasadena.

“The first thing you think is, ‘Someone’s injured or there’s been a car accident,’” Jaques said.

So she immediately called the number back and a man picked up the phone.

“I say, ‘Is everything okay?’” Jaques said. “And he said, “Everything is all right, ma’am, but you have a warrant. I’m calling to let you know we have a warrant for your arrest.’”

Carolyn Jaques was targeted by a sophisticated scam caller masquerading as someone from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. (KTLA)
The Pasadena Courthouse located on East Walnut Street. (KTLA)
The entrance to the Pasadena Police Department. (KTLA)

Jaques knew that wasn’t possible. She hadn’t committed any crimes. But the caller remained persistent.

“They have a way of talking to you like, ‘I’m in charge,’ and they had it down,” she said. “I thought that they were cops.”

The caller insisted that Jaques would face a hefty fine or possible incarceration for failing to appear in court for jury duty. They claimed someone from her home address had previously signed a certified letter sent from the court.

The caller eventually connected Jaques to another line where a second man picked up, claiming to be a deputy.

“He kept repeating my address at home and he kept telling me, ‘You cannot go home. We have squad cars waiting at your home,’” Jaques recalled.

The caller told Jaques to stay on the line and forbade her to speak to anyone else. He instructed her to immediately head to the Pasadena Courthouse located on East Walnut Street.

Jaques was reluctant to leave her spa as she still had customers who were present. They were staring at Jaques with concern at this point.

“He said, ‘You have to come now. Who are you talking to? Anyone you talk to can be an accessory because at this moment, ma’am, you are a fugitive. Do not talk to any of these people,’” Jaques said.

Still hesitant, Jaques searched the caller’s phone number online and surprisingly, the number matched the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s.

“The most bizarre thing was the fact that they had the website. And I’m looking at the website with the number in my phone, while this man is yelling at me and threatening my clients and my family,” Jaques said.

Her husband eventually drove her to the courthouse while the caller insisted she remain on the line.

“He said, ‘Wait a minute, if you step one foot into that station with this warrant, you will be immediately arrested,’” she recalled. “He said, ‘So you must pay your fine first and then you can go and clarify your signature and once you do, you’ll be refunded. Then I said, ‘Well, how much is this fine?’ And he said $1,850 and I said, ‘That is appalling.’”

Exhausted, Jaques hung up the phone and walked into the courthouse, preparing to surrender to authorities. However, that’s when she discovered that none of it was real.

“What the scammer wants to do is put the fear of life in you,” said Lt. Monica Cuellar from the Pasadena Police Department.

Cuellar said scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

“They use a software that will put that particular business number on your phone,” Cuellar explained. “So when you receive it, you’re looking at the phone, and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, it’s from the Pasadena Police Department.’”

By the time Jaques realized what had happened and that she wasn’t a fugitive after all, the scammer had already moved on to someone else. The next victim happened to be Jaques’ friend.

“A friend of mine was scammed $1,200,” Jaques said.

That scam followed a similar script involving legal threats. The callers had instructed her friend to visit the nearest Coinstar Bitcoin Machine to pay the fraudulent fine they were threatening her with.

“Then they said, ‘All right, you can make your payment here. This is your warrant number,’ but obviously it was their Bitcoin account number.”

Jaques is still unclear as to how the scammers accessed her personal information but believes it may have been through voter registration logs.

Generally speaking, voter registration records are public. In California, however, the records are harder to obtain, but there are plenty of online services that may sell your personal data for a small fee.

As these scams continue targeting residents in the Southland, authorities are warning the public to watch out for red flags before cooperating or handing over any cash.

“No law enforcement department is going to call you and demand and pressure you for any sort of payment ever,” Cuellar said. “That will never happen. Do not give any personal information. Do not give any credit card information. Do not give any bank account information. The best thing to do? Hang up.”

Anyone who may have been targeted or victimized in a similar crime is asked to report the incident to their local law enforcement agencies.

Los Angeles, Ca

HHS declares public health emergency for California wildfires

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

HHS declares public health emergency for California wildfires

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for California on Friday to address the health impacts of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The declaration provides greater flexibility for Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers, enabling them to address emergency health needs, officials said.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra made the announcement, following President Biden’s major disaster declaration.

“We will do all we can to assist California officials with responding to the health impacts of the devastating wildfires going on in Los Angeles County,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide public health and medical support.”

People wear masks because of hazardous air quality due to the wildfires as they walk by the beach in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Getty Images)

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, an agency under the HHS umbrella, is on standby to deploy medical equipment, supplies and responders as requested, officials said.

ASPR has shared technical resources on wildfire response and mobilized volunteers from the Long Beach Medical Reserve Corps to assist local officials.

“ASPR is carefully monitoring hospitals and shelters in Los Angeles County devastated by the wildfires, and we are prepared to meet health care needs as part of the combined federal, state and local response,” said ASPR Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.

HHS has activated its 24/7 Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, providing multilingual crisis counseling for wildfire-related emotional distress. The agency also deployed resources from the HHS emPOWER program to assist at-risk individuals and issued temporary HIPAA waivers to support hospitals.

The public health emergency was put in place retroactive to Tuesday, enabling these measures under federal law.

The multiple wildfires raging in Los Angeles County have torched over 35,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and resulted in at least ten deaths.

Los Angeles, Ca

Palisades, Eaton fire victims’ homeowners insurance protected through 2026

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Palisades, Eaton fire victims’ homeowners insurance protected through 2026

On Thursday night, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium, protecting homeowners’ insurance coverage in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The moratorium will prohibit insurance companies from enacting non-renewals and cancellations until Jan. 7, 2026.

In a statement, Lara said this rule applies to all homeowners within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP codes of the two fires in Los Angeles County, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“Losing your insurance should be the last thing on someone’s mind after surviving a devastating fire,” said Lara. “This law gives millions of Californians breathing room and hits the pause button on insurance non-renewals while people recover.”

Officials said residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium.

In addition, if homeowners believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, they are encouraged to contact the department at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov.

“As firefighters continue to battle wildfires across the region,” the statement noted, “the department may issue a supplemental bulletin if additional ZIP Codes are determined to be within or adjacent to a fire perimeter subject to this declared state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.”

The department also provided the following list of tips for consumers during this time:

Keep all receipts during your evacuation.
Policy provisions, including deductibles, vary by company, and residents should check with their insurance company or agent as soon as possible to confirm coverage, limits, and any other limitations and documentation requirements. Most renter’s policies also typically include ALE coverage.
Document the date, time, and names of any insurance company employees you speak to regarding your coverage.
Consumers should make sure any insurance agent or public adjuster offering their services has a valid license by checking online with the Department of Insurance.
Download the Department’s Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants (also available in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese), which includes information about claiming ALE benefits.
Under existing law, public adjusters cannot solicit business for seven calendar days after a disaster.
Don’t forget copies of insurance policies, important papers, and a photo or video inventory of your possessions. An inventory can be completed quickly and easily on your smart phone and safely stored in the Cloud.

Los Angeles, Ca

Wealthy L.A. investor blasted for seeking paid firefighters: ‘Will pay any amount’

Published

19 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Wealthy L.A. investor blasted for seeking paid firefighters: ‘Will pay any amount’

A 40-year-old Los Angeles millionaire, well known for his success in real estate, has deleted his X account, after facing intense criticism for pleading on the social media platform for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday.

Keith Wasserman, whose X bio used to read “entrepreneur, investor, contrarian, compounding,” is a partner and co-founder at Gelt Venture Partners, described on his Linkedin page as “Multifamily Real Estate Investments with High Net Worth Individuals and Families.”

“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades?” the 40-year-old posted on X Jan. 7 as the fire raged. “Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”

The Palisades Fire, which was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, quickly spread through residential and commercial districts, prompting immediate evacuations for tens of thousands of people and has since destroyed thousands of structures across more than 19,000 acres.

The wildfire is believed to be the most destructive natural disaster in L.A. history, with the damage estimated to be somewhere in the $50 billion range.

The Palisades Fire burns as seen from Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Los Angeles on January 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Sky5 view of devastation from the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California on Jan. 9, 2025. (KTLA)
A structure is burned by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Wasserman, who, according to the Daily Beast, had previously posted about his disdain for paying property taxes, writing “real estate ballers don’t pay any,“ was immediately “dragged” by other X users.

“Congratulations on no longer having to pay property taxes,” one user wrote, tagging Wasserman whose home reportedly burned down in the fire.

“You really can’t make this stuff up,” another X user said. “The rich guy Keith Wasserman bragged about not paying taxes & now wants private firefighters to protect his home while neighbors’ home burn.”

Not all the comments were entirely negative, however. Some users came to the real-estate investor’s defense.

“It’s deeply disheartening to witness the backlash against Keith Wasserman,” a user from San Diego wrote. “Keith was fighting to save his home and the cherished memories of his family. Almost anyone in his position, faced with flames at their doorstep, would have acted similarly.”

“If you’re sitting in the comfort of your home judging Keith Wasserman for trying to save his home – maybe realize that you are lucky and be thankful. We all need to be more gentle,” yet another X user posted.

It’s not entirely uncommon for those with the financials means, like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2018, to get for-hire firefighters, though they were also heavily criticized at the time as well.

It’s unclear if Wasserman has any intentions of returning to X, but his account no longer existed by Jan. 9.