Money in Your Pockets: Governor Hochul Announces Nearly 3 Million New Yorkers to Receive $2.2 Billion in Tax Relief This Summer and Fall

$350 to $600 for Most Homeowners with Income Below $500,000

$700 to $1,500 for Most Seniors with Income Below $107,300

Checks Sent to Eligible New Yorkers Starting Next Week; Deliveries Continue Throughout Summer and Early Fall

Some Recipients Have Already Received Their Benefits As a Tax Exemption

Visit ny.gov/STAR To Track Check Delivery or Enroll in Direct Deposit

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that nearly three million New Yorkers will receive $2.2 billion in tax relief this summer and fall through New York's School Tax Relief (STAR) program. STAR provides property tax relief to eligible homeowners and seniors statewide. While some STAR recipients have already received their benefit in the form of a tax exemption this year, many other recipients will receive their benefit as a tax credit and will be sent a check in the mail this summer and fall. Check deliveries will begin next week and will continue statewide throughout the coming months. Most homeowners eligible for a STAR credit will receive a check between $350 and $600. Most seniors eligible for an Enhanced STAR credit will receive a check between $700 and $1,500. STAR recipients can visit ny.gov/STAR to track their check delivery or enroll in direct deposit.

“Summer is here — and it’s also the start of STAR tax relief season for millions of New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “From tax credits to child care assistance and much more, we’re continuing to put more money back in New Yorkers’ pockets.”

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller said, “The STAR program delivers welcome tax relief, and we want every eligible homeowner to take advantage of it. If you’re a new homeowner, or you are currently not receiving a STAR benefit on your primary residence, check out the Tax Department’s website to see how you can enroll and start saving.”

Regional breakdown of this year’s $2.2 billion in STAR tax relief for nearly 3 million New Yorkers: 

REGION	STAR TAX RELIEF	RECIPIENTS
Capital District	$144.5 million	242,000
Central New York	$131.1 million	176,000
Finger Lakes	$205.2 million	279,000
Long Island	$698.4 million	582,000
Mid-Hudson	$488.5 million	404,000
Mohawk Valley	$66.3 million	101,000
New York City	$158.6 million	483,000
North Country	$47.2 million	88,000
Southern Tier	$109.6 million	156,000
Western New York	$178.5 million	320,000
TOTAL	$2.2 BILLION	2.83 MILLION

Homeowners and seniors who are eligible and enrolled in the STAR program receive their benefit each year in one of two ways: as an exemption that reduces their school tax bill, or as a credit issued as a check or direct deposit.

The STAR benefits received by each recipient are based in part on local school taxes and vary based on the county in which the individual resides, among other factors.

Homeowners who are registered and eligible for the STAR credit can expect to receive their STAR credit before the deadline for their school taxes. Some parts of the state — including New York City, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse — have due dates in July and will receive their STAR benefits between the end of June and mid-July. Benefits across other parts of the state will continue to roll out statewide throughout the summer and fall.

Those who receive the STAR credit as a check or direct deposit can visit the STAR Credit Delivery Schedule to learn when credits will be issued in their area. Property owners who are looking for details about STAR credits that have already been issued should visit the Property Tax Credit Lookup.

Enroll in STAR Direct Deposit

Homeowners can enroll in the STAR Credit Direct Deposit program through the Homeowner Benefit Portal within the Tax Department’s secure Online Services system. Homeowners will also be able to use the Homeowner Benefit Portal to manage their STAR benefits easily and efficiently.

The direct deposit option enables eligible STAR credit recipients to get their STAR credits without having to wait for and cash a check. To ensure homeowners receive their STAR credit by direct deposit this year, they should enroll as soon as possible. Homeowners who enroll fewer than 15 days before STAR credits are issued will receive a check this year and direct deposit will begin next year.

For more information about the STAR program, visit the Tax Department’s STAR Resource Center.

Comptroller Lander Secures $650K in Back Wages & Benefits from 160 Madison Ave LLC for 421-a Prevailing Wage Violations

 

With this settlement, the Bureau of Labor Law has collected over $11M during Comptroller Lander’s tenure

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander reached a settlement with 160 Madison Ave LLC for prevailing wage violations regarding 15 workers over the course of three years – and their second prevailing wage violation.  The settlement payments total $650,000.00, including back wages and benefits, civil penalties, and interest. This most recent settlement brings the total collected under Comptroller Lander’s term to over $11 million. 

“160 Madison Ave LLC spent three years underpaying employees of their rightful wages—and failed to do so not once, but twice,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “It’s unacceptable for a building owner that’s receiving a tax benefit to underpay its service workers by more than a year’s rent in those buildings. New York City workers deserve to be compensated fairly, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make sure New York City remains a stronghold of workers’ rights.” 

“The Bureau of Labor Law works to prevent future prevailing wage violations,” said Claudia Henriquez, Director of Workers’ Rights at the Comptroller’s Bureau of Labor Law. “This is why it’s imperative our bureau maintains a critical eye even after a settlement, and further proof of the important work we do to ensure employees working at properties that receive tax exemptions from the state are paid the wages and benefits they rightfully deserve.” 

160 Madison Ave LLC is the owner and employer of a 308-unit rental building located at 160 Madison Avenue. It receives tax exemption benefits under Real Property Tax Law Section 421-a and is therefore required to pay building service employees prevailing wages and benefits under the law. 

The Comptroller’s Office Bureau of Labor Law had previously settled with 160 Madison Ave LLC in 2020 for $285,224.88 after finding that the employer failed to pay its building service workers prevailing wages and benefits, as required by 421-a, from December 2016 through March 2019. After reports that the employer continued its practices, another investigation was opened against them. The second investigation found that 160 Madison Ave failed to pay 15 employees prevailing wages and supplemental benefits from March 2019 through February 2021. 

The Stipulation of Settlement required additional training for the employer’s staff to be completed as well as compliance with notice requirements. The Stipulation was executed on May 1, 2025. 

This case was handled by Agency Attorney Emily Chang under the supervision of Supervising Attorney Amy Luo. The investigation was conducted by Investigator Cordie McCann under the supervision of Francisco Gonzalez, Director of Investigations, and Jose Quiroz, Deputy Director of Investigations. The audit of underpayments was performed by Xiaoyue Lin, Auditor, under the supervision of Stuart Rimmer, Director of Audit. The Bureau of Labor Law is overseen by Claudia Henriquez, Director of Workers’ Rights. 

Attorney General James Freezes $300,000 in Cryptocurrency Linked to Scammers Targeting New Yorkers

 

Scammers Used Deceptive Social Media Ads to Lure Russian-Speaking New Yorkers into Investing with Fake Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms

Over 100 Fraudulent Domains Seized; Some Victims Were Warned Early, Others to Be Made Whole

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office took action to stop a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scam that targeted hundreds of Russian-speaking New Yorkers in Brooklyn and across the country. A joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, and the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), found that Vietnam-based scammers defrauded victims by luring them with deceptive social media ads in Russian that claimed big returns on cryptocurrency and other investments. The scammers convinced more than a hundred victims to purchase cryptocurrency and invest it into fake trading platforms, then stole the victims’ assets and disappeared. After learning of the investigation, Meta shut down more than 700 accounts associated with an advertiser promoting the scam. The OAG secured a court order freezing $300,000 worth of cryptocurrency linked to the scammers, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office seized an additional $140,000 worth of cryptocurrency. 

“Hundreds of New York investors thought they were putting their hard-earned money in safe, high-return investments, only to be defrauded out of millions of dollars,” said Attorney General James. “These scammers targeted Russian speakers on Facebook with enticing ads and my office, together with DFS and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, took action to stop these scammers and protect New Yorkers. I urge all New Yorkers to be vigilant of online cryptocurrency investment ads.”

“As crypto scams continue to proliferate, it is crucial for law enforcement agencies to work together in order to stop them,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “That’s what happened in this case, with the fraudulent network being shut down, victims warned to stop investing, and some of the stolen money getting recovered. I am grateful for the partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Financial Services that led to this successful outcome. My office will continue to investigate every reported scam in Brooklyn and to educate residents about how to protect themselves from these dangerous frauds.”  

“Through partnership and collaboration with the Brooklyn District Attorney and New York Attorney General, hundreds of thousands of dollars were returned to victims and these criminals were held accountable for their deplorable actions,” said New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris. “As a preeminent global regulator of cryptocurrency, banks, insurers, and other financial services providers, the Department will continue to work every day to build a more equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system for all New Yorkers.”

The investigation started in October 2024 when DFS became aware that a fake cryptocurrency investment website was displaying what looked like a BitLicense certificate, purportedly issued by the agency. These certificates are issued to legitimate virtual currency businesses operating in New York to ensure compliance with state laws, consumer protection, and transparency. The first site NYDFS identified was WhalesTrade.com and further investigation revealed that the domain name was linked to a large network of related domains and accounts that were part of a scam campaign targeting Russian-speaking residents of Brooklyn and across the state and country.   

The scammers involved in this scheme lured victims with deceptive social media ads, many in Russian, featuring popular names and personalities. Once victims showed interest in investing, scammers responded to them and moved the conversation to encrypted private messaging apps like Telegram. After the victims made an initial investment on the fraudulent platforms, scammers then falsely showed the victims that their investment accounts were increasing in value and encouraged victims to send more money. After making more investments, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and told they needed to pay more in false withdrawal fees or “taxes.” Eventually, the scammers cut off contact with the victim and pocketed their money. 

The scammers targeted Russian speakers by launching a campaign of advertisements on Facebook that promised high returns on cryptocurrency investments. To avoid revealing their real identity to Facebook and to evade restrictions on misleading and fraudulent advertisement, the scammers paid an individual based in Vietnam for “Black Hat” advertising services. “Black Hat” advertising on Facebook refers to deceptive online tactics used to promote services that violate Facebook’s advertising policies.  The investigation revealed that the scammers used over a million dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency stolen from victims to pay the “Black Hat” advertiser for the placement of the deceptive advertisements.   

In the course of the investigation, more than 300 victims were identified, and many were personally contacted by the Brooklyn District Attorney and DFS investigators and alerted to the fraud so that they would stop sending funds to fake investment platforms. It’s estimated that the scheme caused over $1 million in losses in Brooklyn alone. To disrupt the scheme and prevent future harm, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office executed a series of warrants that resulted in the seizure of over 100 domains and 17 registrar accounts; terminated scammers’ access to their email, effectively disconnecting their communications with victims; seized $140,000 that was stolen from victims that can now be returned; and was able, with DFS, to monitor blockchain activity in real time and warn dozens of victims who had just started engaging with the scammers, preventing the future loss of funds. The OAG secured a court order freezing $300,000 worth of cryptocurrency linked to the scammers.

Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who have been affected by deceptive conduct in cryptocurrency markets to report the conduct to OAG by filing an online complaint. Attorney General James also encourages workers in the cryptocurrency industry who may have witnessed misconduct or fraud to file an online whistleblower complaint, which can be done anonymously.

Residents of New York who want to verify the legitimacy of a cryptocurrency exchange or file a complaint about a cryptocurrency company, product, or service can visit the DFS website, dfs.ny.gov/complaint or call (800) 342-3736. DFS continues to set the bar for prudential regulation of virtual currency, protecting consumers, preserving markets, and rooting out financial crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing.  

Attorney General James thanks the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and DFS for referring this matter and assisting OAG with the investigation and digital asset tracing.