MARYLAND NEWS

The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, would impose wide-ranging restrictions on how companies may collect and use Maryland consumers’ personal data. Another bill,  the Maryland Kids Code, would prohibit certain social media, video game and other online platforms from tracking people under age 18 and from using manipulative techniques. Those techniques, like auto-playing videos or bombarding children with notifications keep people glued online. Source: New York Times.

The proposed legislation would ban practices like speculative ticketing and make platforms responsible for recouping customers who fall victim to scams. Source: billboard.com. Also see SB0539.

According to the guilty plea, as part of the drug trafficking organization, the Maryland man handled bulk cash narcotics proceeds while his associates were responsible for street-level distribution of narcotics.  Members of the drug trafficking organization shared the cash proceeds of their street-level distributions with the man, who laundered the money on behalf of the organization.  He conducted “money drops” in which he transported large sums of drug proceeds to an individual purporting to act on behalf of a Mexican Cartel. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

According to his guilty plea, the and a co-conspirator illegally possessed a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) “arrow key,” which they used to open USPS postal boxes and steal mail.  They then took the mail matter back to their residence and culled out any checks from the stolen mail.  The man and the co-conspirator then changed the names of the payees on the checks to their names or to the names other conspirators recruited to assist with the scheme. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

A commentary by the former director of the University of Maryland Law School Consumer Protection Clinic states “It is time for Maryland to adopt a strong data privacy law, and SB 541, currently working its way through the Maryland General Assembly, would do just that.” Source Baltimore Banner 

Note: Also, see details on the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024  (SB541) at the Maryland Senate website.

Complaint charges Women’s Cancer Fund  and its operator with Raising more than $18 Million from Donors, with only 1% going to financial support for cancer patients. Source: Maryland Attorney General’s office. 

A federal judge on Thursday ordered that probation for former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, convicted of fraud charges for her “Healthy Holly” book scheme, be terminated early. Source: Baltimore Sun via msn.com

Small businesses and nonprofits can receive free internal control risk assessments from Justice for Fraud Victims (JFV) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

The group launched in 2023 as a collaboration of UMD Smith and the Prince George's County Financial Crimes Unit and State's Attorney's Office. The program engages students in investigating financial fraud – including against members of vulnerable populations — with local law enforcement officers.

The program further involves forensic accounting in investigating real-life cases of fraud and analyzing evidence from grand jury-subpoenaed documents. The students also receive assistance from UMD faculty and oversight of Certified Fraud Examiners, as well as other professionals. Source:PR Newswire via  Morningstar.com

The Attorney General joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 Attorneys General in sending a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) addressing the recent increase in Facebook and Instagram platform account takeovers by scammers. Source Maryland Attorney General. Source: Maryland Attorney General

A Maryland firm that oversees the nation's largest independent network of primary care medical practices is facing a whistleblower lawsuit alleging it cheated Medicare out of millions of dollars using billing software "rigged" to make patients appear sicker than they were... Aledade's senior vice president for communications, denied the allegations. Source: msn.com