News, entertainment, opinion, and whatever sparks interest in Burbank the Media City
Fronnie Lewis - Editor

Tag Archives | scams

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Bomb threat hoax targets Burbank businesses

Watch out! Scammers are targeting Burbank businesses with a bomb threat hoax. Over the past two weeks, Burbank Police say several local businesses have received the threat “via fax or email.”  In an advisory, Burbank PD explained the scam this way: “The threats have involved the request for a ransom to be paid via Western Union, usually in the amount of $25,000. A common theme seems to be that the ransom be sent to a Brazilian citizen. The threats state that explosives placed around the “building” will detonate... Read More →

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IRS black and white logo

Consumer Alert: IRS warns of new tax scam

The IRS is sending out a warning about a new tax scam.  The Internal Revenue Service says, in a news release, it has received reports of “scammers calling under the guise of verifying tax return information over the phone.” The scammer try to get the taxpayer to give up personal information like social security and credit card numbers. The swindle has popped up in the past few weeks. It’s a new twist on an old phone fraud. “These schemes continue to adapt and evolve... Read More →

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Utility scammers target residents and business owners

Utility scammers target Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena

As the holidays near, utility scammers are ramping up their schemes to get money out of residents and business owners in Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena. Recently during a two-week period, Burbank Water and Power reportedly received more than 40 calls from customers complaining about phony utility workers trying to squeeze them for money. Last Wednesday, November 4, just before noon, Laree Adel, owner of Best of Times antiques in Burbank’s Magnolia Park, got one of those crank phone calls. Adel says the caller claimed to be... Read More →

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FLLewis / Media City G -- The Home Depot at 1200 Flower St, Burbank September 9, 2014

Millions of email addresses stolen in Home Depot hack

More bad news for Home Depot shoppers. The world’s largest home improvement retailer announced last summer its payment data systems in the U.S. and Canada were  hacked  between April and September of 2014. In that cyber attack, thieves reportedly got away with the payment information for around  “56 million credit cards.”  Last, Thursday in an update on its investigation, the company disclosed the hackers stole “approximately 53 million” email addresses in the security breach, according to a news release. Home Depot claims the hackers got only a limited... Read More →

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FLLewis / Media City G -- The Home Depot at 1200 Flower St, Burbank September 9, 2014

Consumer Alert: Home Depot fraud and Southland phone scam

The Home Depot hacker attack is turning into a really bad nightmare for the nation’s largest home improvement retailer and many of its customers. Reports are circulating on the Internet about thieves using credit card information stolen from Home Depot to “… buy prepaid cards, electronics and even groceries,” according to MoneyWatch. Also, some of the stolen cards reportedly have been used to drain “… crash from customers’ accounts.” Last Thursday, Home Depot announced it had purged the hacker malware from its payment system. However, the company has admitted... Read More →

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Burbank Police Department issue warning about new phone scam

‘Tis the season for a new scam to be making the rounds. The Burbank Police Department is sending out a warning about imposters who phone residents, pretending to be law enforcement officials, and then proceed to rip off money from the victims. Apparently it has happened several times in surrounding communities. It’s called the Moneypak Scam and this is how it works. The thieves, claiming to be from the local police department, ring up the victims and accused them of not appearing in court on a traffic... Read More →

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