“This is a monumental day in the fight against COVID. We are reviewing the guidance because masks will still be important for schools, public transportation, healthcare and congregate settings and more. But the message is clear: vaccinations are the way to bring our city, our lives, back. Get vaccinated. It’s safe, effective and millions of your neighbors have been vaccinated already. We have come so far—now we will reach the finish line together.”
Identity thefts in New York surged during the pandemic with more than 67,000 complaints filed statewide in 2020, which was 85 percent more than the previous year and more than four times the annual total from a decade earlier, according to a report released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
The New York City metropolitan area had the highest rate of identity theft reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) per capita at 403 reports per 100,000 people, followed by Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-
“In the midst of the stresses caused by the pandemic, many New Yorkers also dealt with identity theft last year,” said DiNapoli. “Even when there’s no money stolen, resolving the consequences of stolen personal information is complicated and can take months of effort. Often the pain is really felt later, when victims have trouble getting a job, renting an apartment, or getting a loan because their identity was stolen. We should all take common-sense steps to keep personal information confidential, and companies must do more to protect consumers from identity theft.”
Credit card fraud was the most common type of identity theft reported to the FTC in 2020, with nearly 25,000 New Yorkers reporting someone misused their information on an existing credit card account or to open a new account. More than 3,600 identity theft reports related to COVID-19 were reported in the state, with two-thirds connected to unemployment benefits or other government programs, according to the FTC.
Identity thieves also stole individuals’ personal information to get prescription drugs, obtain medical services or medical insurance coverage and for a variety of other purposes.
Identity thefts have surged in New York over the past decade, but reported arrests and convictions have changed little from year to year. The 543 arrests by state and local authorities in state Fiscal Year 2019-20, as reported by the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, were the fewest of the last decade. Among counties, arrests and convictions were most frequent in those with the largest population. Albany County led New York State in arrests and convictions per 100,000 residents in SFY 2019-20.
Nationwide, reported losses from identity theft totaled $15.1 billion in 2018. The U.S. Department of Justice’s data does not breakdown losses to identity theft by state, but losses by New York residents would be more than $800 million if they are similar to its share of identity theft reports to the FTC that year (about 5 percent).
COVID-19 Identity Theft
The COVID-19 era has been marked by new varieties of financial fraud, including new identity theft scams. Although the full impact of the pandemic on the problem is not yet known, New Yorkers should be aware of potential scams and guard against them.
The FTC has compiled identity theft complaints related to COVID-19 for 2020 through mid-March 2021, reporting 3,617 in New York. Of the state’s identity theft reports, about two-thirds (2,375) were related to information misused to try and get a government document or benefits such as economic relief checks or unemployment insurance.
According to the FTC, imposters are filing claims for unemployment benefits using the names and personal information of people who have not filed claims. People learn about the fraud when they get a notice from the state unemployment benefits office or their employer about their supposed application for benefits. As of late April 2021, the state Department of Labor (DOL) said it had identified over 1.1 million fraudulent unemployment benefit claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing more than $12.3 billion in stolen benefits.
DiNapoli’s office began an audit of the DOL in February. His office first conducted an assessment of the risk of potential identity theft fraud since the beginning of the pandemic, which included looking at complaints, large increases in payments, new programs and criteria, and changes to the internet technology. This assessment found numerous red flags that led DiNapoli’s office to launch a full audit.
Identity thieves have also attempted to leverage news of government COVID-related stimulus payments by posing as someone from an official organization and asking for personal or financial information. They have also tried to exploit pandemic fears by asking victims to pay out of pocket to get a COVID-19 vaccine or to put their name on a vaccine waiting list and, in the process, take their Social Security, bank account or credit card information.
Private businesses that collect and maintain personal information must redouble their efforts to safeguard such data, DiNapoli said. He called on social media companies to promote best practices and proactively educate users about ways to keep private information confidential.
DiNapoli recommends the following actions, among others, to help prevent becoming a victim of identity theft:
Report
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.5923-A/A.6617-A) protecting New Yorkers' COVID-19 stimulus payments from being garnished by debt collectors. All relief payments to New Yorkers under these federal acts, including stimulus payments, tax refunds, rebates, and tax credits to support individuals and children qualified for or received prior to the effective date, will be protected. This legislation also creates a carve-out for claims brought by individuals who have an interest in the relief payments to ensure that these funds can be collected to pay child and spousal support and to collect payments in situations involving fraud.
Any person who is subject to a money judgment being enforced against their bank account will receive a notice that COVID-19 stimulus funds are protected and if they have been inadvertently frozen by a creditor, they should promptly return a form included with the notice to get those funds released.
"New Yorkers in every corner of the State felt the effects of the COVIDpandemic, many losing jobs due to no fault of their own and struggling to support themselves and their families," Governor Cuomo said. "This critical legislation will help ensure relief payments made to New Yorkers are protected from unscrupulous debt collectors so that the money can be used as it was intended - to help make individuals and families whole as they continue to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic."
Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell said, "I applaud the Governor and the Legislature for acting on this important matter. This new law protects individuals and families from debt collection against COVID-19 relief payments from congress, including from banks for debts they claimed against their customers' accounts. In doing so, the law accomplishes Congress's goal for these funds: to provide relief to households that have been economically impacted by the pandemic. The Department is committed to protecting financial security of all New Yorkers, especially those in communities that have been most impacted by COVID-19."
Stimulus payments were provided to individuals and families with children to help them meet their financial needs and support themselves and their families while dealing with the unprecedented economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This new legislation will help ensure New Yorkers have the opportunity to use the full benefit of the financial assistance provided by these federal acts.
Any New Yorker with questions about these protections can call the New York Department of Financial Services Consumer Assistance Unit toll-free at 800-342-3736 or send an email to consumers@dfs.ny.gov, and anyone who has had their stimulus payments taken by a debt collector after May 13, 2021 should file a complaint with the New York Department of Financial Services at www.dfs.ny.gov/complaint.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Well, last night, we saw a situation in Brooklyn that really spoke volumes. I want to say we saw bravery, and courage, and heroism from the NYPD. Last night, members of the NYPD were positioned near a park in Brooklyn, because there had been some previous violence. This is what precision policing is all about, ensuring that officers are where they need to be to stop violence. An assailant nearby committed an act of violence and then literally ran right into the NYPD patrol. And this individual attempted to fire on NYPD officers and, thank God, our officer who was hit by that fire is going to be okay. Officer Brian McGurran, a heroic officer out there protecting us, out there making sure that anyone who aims to do violence against a fellow New Yorker is stopped. And he and his colleagues did stop this individual. This individual is now off the streets, and I expect them to be off the streets for a long, long time. So, this is an example of the dangers our officer's face, but also a profound example of the heroism and the courage they exhibit, how much we depend on them, but also the smart strategies of the NYPD to have officers where they are needed. So, this is a story that ends, thank God, with our officer – although he is wounded and we all hope and pray for a very speedy recovery – our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. He is expected to make a full recovery and that's very good news.
Also, yesterday, very important – the individual who fired shots in Times Square has also been caught. He tried to run. He went out of state, but the NYPD always is able to find people. And this is something that everybody needs to understand and anyone who means to commit a crime better understand the NYPD, more than any time in its previous history, is doing an outstanding job tracking down anyone who commits an offense against New Yorkers. And the bottom line is if you create violence, if you harm a fellow New Yorker, you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, you will suffer the consequences. This is crucial to how we continue our fight against crime and we build a strategy for a safe summer in New York City.
Now, there are so many pieces that go into the recovery we are building every single day in this city. Public safety is crucial. Obviously, the thing we talk about every single day – vaccination. This is the gateway. This is the thing we have to get right so we can keep moving forward. And the good news is, every day, tens of thousands of people coming in to get vaccinated. The latest number, as of today, from the beginning of our vaccination effort, 7,277,505 vaccinations have been given, climbing every day. And now, that number will definitely increase because hundreds of thousands of more New Yorkers are eligible. We've gotten the formal authorization now that all providers who have the Pfizer vaccine can provide it to 12- to 15-year-olds. I think a lot – a lot of families are going to want to take advantage of this opportunity to protect their kids and protect their whole families. So, yesterday, Dr. Chokshi talked about our plan to reach our Zoomers. And I'm going to keep sounding this message to parents – parents, let's get our Zoomers off of Zoom and back to life as normal, and you can help by getting them vaccinated. Sites all over the city – as always, easy, fast, free, safe. And if you want to make an appointment for your 12- to 15-year-old, go to nyc.gov/vaccinefinder, or call 877-VAX-4NYC.
Okay. Now, we need everyone to get vaccinated, so we know we have to make it convenient. We know we have to make it easy. We know we need the opportunities for people to speak to their trusted community voices, doctors, etcetera – we're doing all that. But we also know that incentives help, they really do. And so, we've been announcing free tickets, gift cards, all sorts of incentives to encourage people. A lot of people are ready to get vaccinated, they just haven't gotten around to it. They need a little extra incentive. We're doing that now. And we are going to have a live correspondent this morning talk about this and from a site that means a lot to all of us as New Yorkers, because one thing I think that does unite New Yorkers is a love of Shake Shack. So, live from the original Shake Shack location in Madison Square Park, the CEO of Shake Shack, and he is generously joining into this incentive effort, and I welcome him. My pleasure to introduce CEO Randy Garutti. Welcome, Randy. .
Mayor: Thank you so much, Randy. Thank you to the whole Shake Shack team, this is really going to help us out. And did you say free fries when you get vaccinated?
[Mayor de Blasio eats French fries]
I got vaccinated. You're saying I could get this? These delicious fries? Wait a minute – but there's also a burger element to this? Let me check with Bill Neidhardt, is too early in the day to eat a burger? No?
Bill Neidhardt: You’re good to go.
Mayor: This could be breakfast? Okay. I want you to look at this and think about – again, some people love hamburgers, some don't, really want to respect all ways of life. But if this is appealing to you, just think of this when you think of vaccination.
[Mayor de Blasio eats hamburger]
Mmm, vaccination. I'm getting a very good feeling about vaccination right this moment. Thank you to Randy Garutti and, of course, Danny Meyer, who is doing so much to help us with the recovery and the entire team.
I've got to finish chewing for a moment. I think that would be more dignified, don't you think? Yeah. So, everyone, we're going to keep rolling out incentives. We're going to keep making it easier. We're going to keep making it fun. We really, really need to get everyone vaccinated. So, keep watching, keep joining in. Choose the thing you love, choose the incentive that moves you and come on out and get vaccinated.
Okay. Now, this is pretty good that we will now go even higher up the vaccination scale here. I've said that one of the great reasons to go out and get vaccinated is to bring this city back, full reopening. And let's have something historic and amazing – the Summer of New York City, a summer of joy, a summer of culture, a summer of energy. We can do this. And one of the things you're going to see in New York City this summer is live music everywhere, it's going to be a big part of what gives us energy, what gives us hope. I am very proud to say the two of our biggest music festivals, outdoor festivals are making a major comeback this year in 2021, New York City. Global Citizen Live will be back and the Governors Ball at Citi Field will be back, and that is a very big deal. So, here's the latest incentive deal. If you get vaccinated, you will have an opportunity to win free tickets to these amazing music festivals. These are – literally, people wait all year for the opportunity to enjoy these festivals, and here's your chance. So, get vaccinated, get a ticket, get out there and enjoy something amazing.
Now, to hear about what this means, one of the artists who will be performing at the Governors Ball. I love all musicians, but I particularly love musicians who are true New Yorkers – in this case, a true Brooklynite. And she has done amazing work. I am particularly moved by one of her best-known songs, 1950, which is absolutely just enchanting and mesmerizing. And she is a great songwriter, singer, musician in every way. My great pleasure to introduce King Princess.
Mayor: Alright, thank you. There is the message, everyone – couldn't be clearer. I want to note that I have been refraining from eating the hamburger further during this press conference, but I will address the situation immediately following the press conference.
Okay. Now, what have we been talking about all week as part of our recovery, as part of opening up New York City, having everyone out, enjoying New York City? It's been Streets Week!!!! all week. Now, I want to note, Streets Week!!!! officially, because it's the fourth day of Streets Week!!!! There should be four exclamation points – that is correct on the screen, excellent work, everyone. Monday, we focused on safety enforcement and Vision Zero. Tuesday, we announced new busways, bike lanes, bike boulevards. Yesterday, we talked about Open Boulevards, amazing stretches, block after block, Open Streets, Open Restaurants, a festival atmosphere. And today –later on today, I will be signing the legislation to make Open Streets permanent. I'll be up in Inwood. It's going to be exciting. This is a historic change to the New York City streetscape, and it will be permanent, and it will make our lives better. So, this is a really good day. And, today, we're talking about how we move things around the city, reduce congestion, make our city more sustainable.
So, one of the things that we're working on that we started talking about last week is our cargo bike pilot. This is a really, really exciting new initiative to use a very different approach to get things around. And it's much, much better for the environment, much better for reducing congestion. Today, we're now talking about how to change our approach to trucks in New York City, how to make truck traffic safer, how to reduce it at the hours when we don't want it, how to make it more sustainable. We're going to take things to work. We're really excited about ways to get alternatives going, like the cargo bikes. We have the NYC Clean Truck program. We want to focus on sustainable approaches, different approaches. One of the things I've long believed we could do more of is encouraging overnight deliveries by trucks, deliveries to stores, off-hour deliveries. So, we're making changes to make that easier, expanding certain loading zones, taking actions to support and provide resources to small businesses so it will be more appealing for them to get those off-hour deliveries. We can get trucks out of the way in the times when most people are out and get those deliveries to be off-hours, that's going to be better for everyone. And every time we reduce traffic, obviously, there's a Vision Zero impact too – safety first. This plan helps us move forward with it. Details – if you want to see the details, go to nyc.gov/smarttruck and get a look at what the future will be as how we create a more sustainable approach to this city.
Now, I said, Vision Zero and I’m keep saying Vision Zero. This is one of the things I'm proudest of. We started it in 2014, there were plenty of naysayers. There were plenty of people who said it wouldn't work. There are plenty of people said New Yorkers wouldn't stand for it. New Yorkers came to believe in Vision Zero. It has worked. We’ve got a lot more to do, but it's the right approach and we're going to keep building on it. And I have announcement today about the place that was synonymous – not just for a year or two years, for decades – Queens Boulevard, tragically, was synonymous with the problem of horrible deaths on the road, pedestrians, motorists, cyclists. Queens Boulevard – I don't have to remind people who've been here a while – it used to be called the Boulevard of Death and people would say it almost without even thinking about it, it had become so common, which is tragic unto itself. When we put Vision Zero into effect, one of the things that I knew we had to do, and it would take time, but we would get it done, is address Queens Boulevard once and for all. And as we've done each stage, it has had a remarkable impact.
The last stage, the fourth stage of the Queens Boulevard redesign was getting ready to go, but then COVID hit. There was an issue with federal approval. We believe now there's a much better environment in Washington and much more support for Vision Zero and bike safety. So much so that Vision Zero's now the template – our New York City Vision Zero has become the national template of the Biden administration for how to create a safer traffic environment for everyone. And, of course, our own former Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg is now the number-two official at the U.S. Department of Transportation. We're very, very proud of her. So, I think we're going to do well. We do need some additional State and federal approval, but I'm very hopeful. And our goal, announcing today, starting construction than the last phase of Queens Boulevard in July with completion in November. We want to get this done. We want to ensure a safe Queens Boulevard throughout. This is crucial to a recovery for all of us, to have safety, to have streets that work and that bring New Yorkers back to all the things we love about this place.
All right, time for our indicators. And, again, we have a good day for indicators. Number one, daily number of people admitted to New York City hospitals for suspected COVID-19 – today's report, 92 patients – 92. Confirmed positivity, 25.53 percent. Hospitalization rate keeps going down, 1.19 per 100,000. So, we're well below threshold. That's great to see. Now, number two, new reported cases on a seven-day average – today's report, 693 cases. This is just absolutely remarkable. Look at that change over these last few weeks. And it is because of vaccinations, period. And number three, percentage of people testing positive citywide for COVID-19 – today's report on a seven-day rolling average, 1.81 percent, continues to go down. Let's keep it going down.
Question: Well, you have us all craving burgers and fries this morning. So – and is that a large soda you have there?
Mayor: Look again, look again, Julia. I want this to be synonymous with vaccination. This is – this I, you know, I want to do full disclosure. This is a Shake Shack cup with water in it. I think soda would have been a little much for me this morning.
More Than 40% of New Yorkers Now Fully Vaccinated
111,885 Doses Administered in the Last 24 Hours
Nearly 1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days
Vaccine Dashboard Updated Daily on the State's Vaccine Program Here
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that more than 8 million people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in New York State. 111,885 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and nearly 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days.
"New York State is making steady progress getting shots in arms and bringing our population to higher levels of immunity from COVID-19, but we have more work to do before everyone returns to safety and the new normal," Governor Cuomo said. "Vaccination is a privilege, and we're working day and night to make the vaccine as accessible as possible by opening new pop-up sites and expanding walk-in appointments. Eight million people have been vaccinated - which is a significant milestone - but we need even more New Yorkers to get the vaccine if we want to beat COVID once and for all."
All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first come first serve basis. The walk-in appointments are reserved for first doses only with second doses to be scheduled automatically after administration of the initial shot. In addition, all vaccine providers are encouraged to allow walk-in appointments for eligible New Yorkers. People who would prefer to schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can do so on the Am I Eligible App or by calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital to schedule appointments where vaccines are available, or visit vaccines.gov to find information on vaccine appointments near them.
STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN
Statewide Positivity Rate Drops to 1.08%
Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 1.25%—Lowest Since October 22; 38 Straight Days of Decline
Hospitalizations Drop to 1,852—Lowest Since November 14
7-Day Hospitalizations Drop to 2,041—Lowest Since November 18; 42 Straight Days of Decline
ICU Patients Drop to 433—Lowest Since November 17
Intubations Drop to 258—Lowest Since November 22
22 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the statewide COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 1.08 percent yesterday, the lowest since October 10.
"New Yorkers are making tremendous progress in slowing the spread and keeping the numbers down - we have the lowest single-day positivity rate since October 10 and that is purely a function of our resilience and discipline," Governor Cuomo said. "As our numbers continue to decline, we're reopening even more sectors of our economy and reimagining life for a new normal in a post-pandemic world. We are getting on with life, but we haven't fully conquered the COVID beast yet and we have to continue with the practices we know work to stop COVID in its tracks - wearing masks, practicing social distancing and most importantly, getting vaccinated."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued a report today on DOI’s investigation into defective absentee ballots produced by Rochester, New York-based Phoenix Graphics, Inc., for the 2020 General Election in New York City. In late September 2020, numerous voters in Brooklyn received absentee ballot packages containing “oath envelopes” pre-printed with names and addresses that were not theirs, prompting the City Board of Elections (“BOE”) to announce that approximately 99,000 packages assembled as part of that print run would be re-printed and mailed to voters at Phoenix Graphics’ expense. DOI investigated the circumstances surrounding these faulty absentee ballots as well as whether the BOE properly awarded a contract to Phoenix Graphics. DOI found no evidence that there was intentional interference regarding the defective absentee ballot packages. DOI also determined that while there was no competitive bid process to procure the contract, the award was consistent with emergency procurement authority granted to the BOE. A copy of the full report follows this release and can also be found at the following link: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doi/newsroom/public-reports.page
DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “DOI found no intent or motivation to intentionally disrupt Phoenix Graphics’ print run of the absentee ballots; nor did DOI find that the BOE improperly awarded a contract to Phoenix Graphics. DOI also found no evidence that a data deletion during a software installation was purposeful. The facts determined during this investigation are consistent with some deficiencies in Phoenix Graphics’ quality controls and a lapse in the company’s operation of a complex printing process. Although we found no wrongdoing, DOI is issuing this public report in the interests of transparency and the importance of the public’s confidence in the City’s voting process and overall election integrity.”
DOI’s Report found that in April 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.15, which made mail-in absentee voting temporarily available to all New York voters for the June primary. The State legislature subsequently passed legislation that similarly made mail-in absentee voting available to any eligible voter in the November 2020 general election. Because the demand for absentee ballots increased dramatically, the BOE required assistance from outside vendors to print those ballots. The BOE reached out to three printing companies with which it had existing relationships to determine if they could assist in printing these ballots on short notice. Two of the three companies, one of which was Phoenix Graphics, agreed to take on the work. In a May 2020 internal memo, BOE Executive Director Michael Ryan certified that there was insufficient time to conduct a competitive bid process in connection with the printing of absentee ballots for the 2020 elections and directed the BOE’s Agency Chief Contracting Officer “to negotiate with the Board’s current Election Day Ballot printers to provide printing and mailing services.” The BOE’s June 2020 contract with Phoenix Graphics referenced gubernatorial Executive Order 202.26, which allowed county boards of election to procure absentee ballots “without the usual advertising for bids and offers and compliance with existing procurement policies and procedures.” Phoenix Graphics was awarded a contract valued at $4.6 million to print absentee ballots for voters in Brooklyn and Queens.
DOI interviewed the president of Phoenix Graphics Salvatore DeBiase under oath, who explained in detail the company’s printing and assembly process for absentee ballots, including during the several day timeframe in September 2020 that the mismatched ballots were produced. The Report indicates that DeBiase explained the machine has no mechanical parts that can be controlled remotely and that in September 2020 he was informed by the BOE that hundreds of voters in Brooklyn had complained of receiving oath envelopes with someone else’s name and address printed on them. DeBiase also told DOI that the cause of the faulty ballot packages was not immediately clear; that his staff tried to re-create different scenarios and found two mechanical parts that, if not adjusted properly before the print run, could result in oath envelopes pushed onto an incorrect pile. During the affected print run in September 2020, there was an employee operating the machine who recalled observing one oath envelope fall on top of the wrong pile, but he did not see any more oath envelopes drop into the wrong pile. The employee conducted spot checks throughout the run but did not identify any additional mismatched oath envelopes.
The printing and insertion machine can usually generate a detailed report about every print job, but DeBiase stated that by the time he learned of the problem and sought to generate such a report, the machine’s history had been deleted as a result of a software installation. DOI’s investigation revealed no evidence that the data deletion, as a result of software installation, was purposeful or done with any knowledge of the ballot printing errors.
DeBiase and two other Phoenix Graphics employees testified that they had no reason to believe that anyone at Phoenix Graphics had deliberately caused the envelope mismatch. In addition, DeBiase indicated he has implemented new procedures to prevent similar problems from happening in the future, including: having multiple employees check the layout of the machine to ensure it is set up correctly, extracting the data after each print run so it can no longer be accidentally deleted, conducting more spot checks by opening envelopes at random, inspecting diverted packages, and having employees observe the area where the oath envelope lands to ensure they are landing on top of the correct piles.
Commissioner Garnett thanked the BOE for its cooperation in this investigation.
