TO MARK NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK, A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN RELEASES NYS TOP TEN FRAUDS OF 2010

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today released the list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by the Attorney General’s Office in 2010. Marking the start of National Consumer Protection Week, the Attorney General highlighted the scams most reported by New Yorkers and offered tips on how to avoid them in the future. He will announce a series of actions taken to protect New York consumers from scams in the coming days.

“Arming consumers with information is the best defense against frauds and abuses,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “The crime scene of the 21^st century is the Internet, and it is important for consumers to not only know their rights, but how to fight back. In addition to taking action against those who cheat New Yorkers, this office is an excellent resource that can help stop scams. I encourage New Yorkers to mark National Consumer Protection Week by learning how to recognize, avoid and report consumer frauds.”

The Attorney General’s Office analyzed the consumer complaints received from across the state throughout 2010. The highest number of complaints were Internet-related, closely followed by credit-related complaints that involved debt collection, credit card billing and identity theft. The following is the 2010 list of the top ten consumer complaints by category:

      CATEGORY                                      NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS

  1. Internet                                                          7,024

      (privacy issues; spyware; consumer frauds)

  2. Credit                                                              5,455

      (debt collection; credit card billing; debt settlement)   

  3. Consumer-Related Services                   3,817 

      (security systems; restaurant/catering services; tech repairs)

  4. Automobile                                                  3,661  

      (buying, leasing, repair, service contracts, rentals)  

  5. Landlord/Tenant                                      2,009    

     (residential repairs, deposit releases, tenant-harassment)   

  6. Mortgage                                                      1,927    

     (mortgage and loan broker fraud, foreclosures)   

  7. Retail Sales                                                  1,364    

    (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own)    

  8. Home Repair/Construction                  1,299  

    (home improvement services not delivered or done poorly)   

  9. Mail Order                                                    1,266   

   (purchases made online or from a catalog)    

 10. Telecommunications                              1,202      

   (phone cards, cellular services, pay-per-call)

The Attorney General also provided a list of tips all consumers should use to protect themselves and their families:

1. Internet: Always make sure websites are secure before providing any financial information, such as a credit card or bank account number. Secure website addresses start with “https” and have a symbol, such as a lock. These secure sites use encryption to scramble your information as it is transmitted over the Internet to keep it secure. Learn more here.

2. Credit: Debt collection is the most common type of credit fraud, and consumers must know their rights. Debt collectors may not harass or abuse consumers, nor provide misleading information – for instance claiming to represent a government agency. Anyone with credit problems should contact credit counseling agencies licensed by the New York State Banking Department for assistance in managing the situation and avoiding collection scams. Learn more here.

3. Services: We rely on a range of services in our day-to-day living, from snow-removal to home repair to party planning. Make sure to use a written contract for all services that clearly defined restrictions and obligations of both the consumer and service-provider.

4. Automobile: Many automobile complaints relate to leasing and New Yorkers should know that they are protected by the strongest auto-leasing law in the country. The law allows consumers to shop around for the best deal when leasing a car, set limits on early termination, and even gives the Attorney General’s Office jurisdiction to resolve excess wear-and-tear disputes. Learn more here. 

5. Landlord/Tenant: Landlords are required to keeping records of all notices, inspections and repair matters related to the residence. This is especially important for issues like lead paint – which was prevalent in the 1960s and poses a significant threat to children. Ask your landlord for documentation to ensure that your building is up to code. Learn more here.

6. Mortgage: Mortgage rescue scams prey on homeowners in their greatest time of need. Look out for offers that will stop or delay foreclosure payments for an upfront fee or make payments on your behalf. Beware of companies that suggest a government affiliation or claim to be with the government, or those that work with attorneys but do not provide legal services. Turn to the New York State Banking Department for licensed counselors to help to manage the situation.  Learn more here.

7. Retail Sales: Rent-to-own programs allow consumers who would otherwise be unable to afford some items access to common household goods without a down payment or credit check. However, some consumers may end up spending more to acquire items than if they had just paid for them up front. A new law restricts prices to keep them in line with the costs of goods.  Consumers should ensure that all rent-to-own transactions have a written contract. Learn more here.

8. Home Repair/Construction: The biggest and most important investment families will make is their homes, and improvements should add value, not hardship. Before entering into a contract, shop around for estimates, check in with the Better Business Bureau, banks, suppliers and neighbors for references, and know your rights: you have three days after signing a home improvement contract to cancel it. Learn more here.

9. Mail Order: Whether ordering online or from a catalog, make sure the company has an operating customer service line and lists a real street address. Companies operating on a ‘fly-by-night’ basis often have no working customer service number and list only a P.O. Box. Learn more here.

10.  Telecommunications: Calling cards remain a popular way not only to get in touch with family and friends, but also to rip-off consumers. Start with one card of a small denomination and test it to ensure that all the charges – including connection fees and rate per minute – are what the provider described.

Attorney General Schneiderman reminded New Yorkers that in addition to being vigilant consumers, they should also report instances of fraud to his office.

“Our top ten list reflects the complaints filed by New Yorkers across the state, which helped our investigators and attorneys stop scam artists in their tracks,” Attorney General Schneiderman added. “It’s critical that frauds are reported to the authorities so that we can hold wrongdoers accountable, limit their damage, and protect consumers.”

Consumers are encouraged to file complaints by visiting the Office’s website: http://www.ag.ny.gov/resource_center/complaints/complaints.html or calling 1-800-771-7755.

     

Pedro Espada Jr.'s case set to go to court

 Liz Benjamin writes that September 12th is the date set for former State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and his son to go to court to face corruption charges. 

Espada and his son Pedro G. were indicted last December, and if convicted both face up to 10 years in prison on each of the five embezzlement charges, and five years for the conspiracy charge, as well as a steep fine. 

It is also said in the story that the US Attorney's office plans to file another indictment against Espada possibly for tax fraud. 

Espada's Bronx coop is now on the market possibly signaling that the former state senator could be in financial trouble.

Senior Centers Update

Celeste Katz of the Daily News does a follow up story the Senior Center closings including listing all 105 Senior Centers to be closed by city council member. 21 are scheduled to be closed in the Bronx in all council districts. The list is a little distorted and not in any order going from borough to borough and I might have missed one or two. You should check the list and then speak to your council member or state legislator, as the last paragraph states that the governor is moving discretionary monies in Title XX funding away from where they now go to child welfare services.

This story includes a statement from New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that says the following.  “Our senior centers are a lifeline for thousands of seniors across this city.  Last year we fought and won restorations to Title XX to keep senior centers in our community open and I am committed to doing so again in this year’s state budget.”

Senior Center Closing Protest Update

  A picture is worth a thousand words as Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has his say at the rally earlier today to fight proposed funding cuts by Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg that could close over 100 senior centers citywide. You can see the BP's father Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. who is championing this fight n the State Senate with Senator Serrano (second row), and you can see many Bronx assembly members in the picture  who also are against the proposed cuts. 

Here is the link to the video of BP Diaz as he speaks to the huge crowd that gathered at the Bronx County Building for the rally.

State Senator Rubén Díaz Blasts Bloomberg’s Plan to Shutter Hundreds of
Senior Centers

Today the Bloomberg Administration released its plan to shutter hundreds of senior centers in New York City and thereby putting as many as ten thousand seniors at risk of hunger, social isolation and neglect.

“Once again, Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg have joined forces to increase the suffering of the senior citizens in New York City who have come to rely on these centers for meals, companionship and social activities,” stated Senator Díaz.

“I am calling on Senior Citizens from throughout the Bronx – and all five boroughs if possible - to join me at a rally tomorrow, Friday March 4th at 11:00 a.m. on the steps of Bronx Borough Hall to oppose the closing of
these centers. Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg will know that the senior citizens of New York City will never accept this decision quietly.”

“The closing of these centers is beyond unconscionable,” continued Senator Díaz. “Four of the centers slated to close are in my district, and two of them – Davidson and Kips Bay Castle Hill are among the most vibrant and active. I must strongly object to the criteria the Bloomberg Administration used in arriving at its decision to close these centers,” he commented.

Rally to Oppose the Closing of Senior Centers

Friday March 4th, 2011 - 11:00 a.m.

Steps of Bronx Borough Hall 161st Street and the Grand Concourse  

 

 LIU STATEMENT ON POSSIBLE TEACHER LAYOFFS

City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to inquiries about his reaction to Governor Cuomo’s proposal regarding teachers:
“Rather than attempt an end-run around collective bargaining, as the Mayor has tried to do, Governor Cuomo has stood up for both the city's children and the rights of union members.

"The Governor has continued to insist that the state budget he has proposed should not require local layoffs, despite the fact that the Mayor has threatened to lay off thousands of teachers and send class sizes skyrocketing, even if the state comes through with major new revenues for the city.
“The Governor has also taken a creative approach to developing a new and more objective standard to measure teacher effectiveness – a methodology developed by State Education Commissioner Steiner and the teachers' union that helped ensure New York's success in the national Race to the Top competition.
“New York is not Wisconsin, and the kind of leadership Governor Cuomo has shown on these issues stands as an example to other states where critical services and workers' rights are under assault.”

20 Senators Join Senator Rivera in a Letter Urging Governor Cuomo to Extend Personal Income Tax for Wealthiest New Yorkers
Ensuring We Ask All New Yorkers to Share in Sacrificing During Tough Times

  Senator Gustavo Rivera was joined by 20 Senators yesterday afternoon in co-signing a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, urging him to maintain the personal income tax level for the wealthiest New Yorkers to ensure Middle Class and low-income New Yorkers do not bear the sole burden of the shared sacrifice necessary to get us through these difficult times.
In the letter, Senators voice their concern over cuts to education, Medicaid and public safety that would disproportionately impact our most vulnerable citizens in low and middle-income communities and communities of color.
“A majority of Democratic Senators joined me in signing this letter in order to share their concerns over tough budget cuts and a budget proposal that would disproportionately impact many of our own communities,” said Senator Rivera. “But most importantly, we are presenting solutions and hoping to start a dialogue regarding the extension of personal income tax for the wealthiest New Yorkers. Our communities understand that we are making tough choices in this budget, but we must ask all New Yorkers to share the responsibility and the burden of closing the deficit.”
The letter was signed by Senators Gustavo Rivera, Eric Adams, Joseph Addabbo, Tony Avella, Neil Breslin, Martin Dilan, Ruben Diaz Sr., Thomas Duane, Adriano Espaillat, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Shirley Huntley, Liz Krueger, Velmanette Montgomery, Suzi Oppenheimer, Kevin Parker, Jose Peralta, Bill Perkins, Toby Ann Stavisky, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Jose Serrano and Daniel Squadron.

  The letter is attached and the text of the letter is below:

 

March 2^nd, 2011 Governor Andrew Cuomo
New York State Capitol
Second Floor
Albany, NY 12247

Dear Governor Cuomo:
In your budget presentation on February 1^st, you urged the State Legislature to join you in making tough decisions. We are prepared to do just that. And we join you in wanting to provide New Yorkers with a more efficient, effective and streamlined government. We know this year’s budget will require a heavy dose of sacrifice and a heavy dose of responsibility. However, we write you today to urge that the sacrifice and responsibility be shared across the state.
As we continue to hold public hearings on the impact of the proposed budget cuts, it has become clear to us, particularly in the areas of education, health and public safety, a disproportionate burden will be placed on low-income communities and communities of color. While these cuts are being touted as a path to recovery, to many of our constituents these cuts could easily be a path to ruin with hospitals closing, classes becoming overcrowded, and streets becoming less safe.
This is a path we do not have to take. Instead, we ask that this year’s budget reflect shared sacrifice and shared responsibility for all New Yorkers. That is why we are writing to request your support for keeping in place the personal income tax (PIT) at current levels.
As you said in your budget presentation, we will not be able to cut our way out of this budget crisis. We must also ensure higher revenue for the state to offset what will otherwise be damaging budget cuts for our districts and those who have sent us to Albany to represent their interests. If we just keep the PIT rate where it is for those wealthiest New Yorkers, it would provide more than $1 billion in revenue this fiscal year and up to $5 billion in fiscal year 2012-2013.
Those revenues should be used to offset the hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts proposed to education (including CUNY and SUNY), public health,  human services, mental hygiene, and public safety.
We have heard from our constituents. Those who would be impacted the most – students, low-income families and teachers – were not the cause of the economic crisis but will be the ones to bear the brunt of it. Those hit hardest by the proposed budget and the economic crisis will once again do their part and make sacrifices. But they look at this budget and wonder why it is those at the top aren’t being asked to do the same. In fact, the only change for  highest income earners is they receive relief in the form of a TAX CUT. This comes at a time when New York’s low-income earners are paying more than ever before in personal income tax, while the wealthiest New Yorkers pay less than they ever have in personal income tax.
Given the fact that the federal government extended the Bush-era high-income tax cuts, it’s fair to question whether we should be giving the wealthiest New Yorkers a state tax cut too. During these difficult financial times sacrifices must be shared by all. Should wealthy New Yorkers really receive two tax cuts?
We would have far preferred that the federal government done the right thing with tax policy. But it did not and as a result all the states (most of which are in equally bad shape for revenue) are left with the reality that they will not see much-needed revenues from Washington for at least the next two years.
Keeping taxes for the wealthiest New Yorkers at their current level will lessen the cuts to critical services like education, Medicaid and public safety funding that impact people like the residents of our districts. This is an essential first step in keeping with the ideal of a budget that truly shared sacrifice and shared responsibility.
We hope you will consider supporting our proposal and look forward to working with you as we continue to discuss this budget process. Please let us know when we can discuss this project further and set a meeting at your convenience.

Sincerely yours,

* We have omitted the names because we wanted to save some room, and they are listed above the letter as signatories.
 

Upcoming Events in March


Saturday March 5th

The Bedford Mosholu Community Association will be holding their annual Flea Market, starting at 10:00AM at Saint Mary's Orthodox Church of India, located at 360 Bedford Park Blvd. by Decatur Ave.

Thursday, March 10^th, 7:30pm

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Adriano Espaillat will be holding a town hall meeting at the Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue 10471.

This town hall meeting is to discuss critical issues such as the City and State budgets, education funding, job creation and economic development, housing and the upcoming expiration of tenant protection laws, senior citizen concerns, the MTA, and parking and transportation issues.  They are eager to hear their constituents’ concerns and opinions. You can call  (718) 548-8200 for more information. 

                  

Thursday March 31st thru Sunday April 3rd

The 161st Street BID will be hosting an opening week schedule of events to coincide with the Yankee 2011 baseball season opening day home game. 

Events start on Thursday March 31st at 8AM with a concert in Ruth Gehrig Plaza scheduled for 9AM. There will be a free exhibition about the Negro Leagues on Saturday April 1st at the Bronx Museum from 6-8PM, and on Sunday April 2nd from 1-3PM there will be Free Autographs available at Stan's across the street from Yankee Stadium. Game time Sunday is 4PM.