MARYLAND NEWS

Policymakers gathered in Annapolis on Monday to warn older Marylanders about the risks of financial fraud and suggest ways to avoid it…Karen Morgan of AARP Maryland said that the state reported 1,985 incidents of fraud last year that impacted adults 60 and older. Source: Baltimore Sun.

The Anne Arundel Register of Wills pleaded guilty Tuesday to misconduct in office for cashing a check worth thousands of dollars meant for a resident's  inheritance tax bill. Source: capitalgazette.com

Source: Baltimore Sun

Former State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's sentence includes 12 months of home confinement, 100 hours of community service and three years of supervised release. Source: AP via msn.com

A Maryland man is facing federal wire fraud charges in connection to his alleged involvement with an espionage ring helping to funnel U.S. cash to North Korea. Investigators claim it’s part of a wide reaching North Korean scheme to get around international sanctions and fund nuclear weapons programs. Source WUSA9.com and US Attorney, District of Maryland

A 75-year-old man named Robert knocks on the front door of Eddy's house in Maryland, desperate to know what happened to all his money...Robert invested his money with a bank where Eddy worked. ...Eddy gained Robert's confidence as well as access to his checking account. He managed to get his hands on many signed blank checks.

Be mindful of such scams and report them to The National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-FRAUD-11, or 1-833-372-8311) is managed and staffed by the Department of Justice from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. If you think you’ve been a victim, call the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at 1-800-225-5324. Source: Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun Columnist via the The Las Vegas Sun.

The objective of the day is to raise awareness of fraudulent schemes older adults often fall prey to, as they lose approximately $36.5 billion annually due to financial fraud. Because of this alarming statistic, the U.S. Congress declared the establishment of National Senior Fraud Awareness Day starting in 2018.

Source: Baltimore Sun via msn.com

Defendant Stole Approximately $1 Million from the Victim and Used the Funds for His Personal Benefit; As a Result of the Fraud, Victim’s House Went Into Foreclosure. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

A former Maryland pastor was sentenced on Thursday for his involvement in a scheme to marry off church members he recruited to foreign nationals in exchange for money. The Bowie man is alleged to have facilitated 60 sham marriages and submitted over 100 fake documents to carry out his scheme.

According to the Justice Department, the former pastor recruited and groomed economically disadvantaged United States citizens to marry foreign nationals and then sponsored them for permanent residence in the United States.  Source: WUSA-TV via MSN.com and US Attorney, District of Maryland