Scam Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell

The Cornell IT Department has issued the following Security Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell Alert

Date: 2017-03-15 11:25:00
Status: Open
Brief Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked.
Current Status: N/A
Services Affected:
Email and Calendar
Subsites Affected:
Faculty/Staff Email (Office 365)
Incident Response
Student Email (Cmail)
Full Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked. To see an example, visit the Phish Bowl at https://it.cornell.edu/phish/4526 . Remember to check links in emails and on websites to make sure they are what they claim to be. See how, and other ways to keep your account safe at https://it.cornell.edu/security-and-policy .

Report: Seneca County Courts closed March 15

Please be advised that all state paid courts in the 7th Judicial District will be closed Wednesday, March 15, 2017 due to the inclement weather. These include the counties of Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates. Read more:at SenecaDaily.com http://senecadaily.com/?p=1068584#ixzz4bMIQJt4F SDN

Seneca County Roads Ordered Closed at 5pm

The Seneca County Sheriff has announced that all roads in Seneca County will be closed except for emergency travel at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday until further notice.

Beware of New Tax Season Scams

New York State officials are alerting consumers to new tax season scams from individuals posing as Treasury representatives.

Over the past several weeks, taxpayers, as well as tax preparers, have received calls from scammers claiming to be from the U.S. and New York State Treasury Departments. The scams target taxpayers, as well as tax preparers. Consumers should be wary of three new scams emerging early in the tax season:

1. Scammers posing as NYS or U.S. Treasury representatives – Callers posing as NYS Treasury agents encourage victims to turn over their bank account information along with $250 in return for a larger sum of cash to come at a later date. To make themselves appear more convincing, the scammers provide the victim with a phone number, address, and confirmation code specific to the transaction. New Yorkers have also received calls from individuals posing as U.S. Treasury agents.

2. Pocketing Affordable Care Act penalties – Uninsured New Yorkers may face another tax scam involving penalties under the Affordable Care Act. In some cases, untrustworthy tax preparers tell clients to pay the penalties directly to them, and they keep the money. Taxpayers should never make a tax payment directly to an individual or tax preparer. Payments should be made only with a tax return or in response to a letter from the IRS.

3. Tax preparers become the targets – Tax preparers also need to remain vigilant. Recent scams are targeting the preparers via phone calls demanding client information. In these cases, scammers pretend to be from the IRS in hopes of gaining usernames and passwords to taxpayer accounts.

If you believe that you’ve been contacted by someone attempting a scam, have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, or suspect a tax preparer is engaging in illegal activities, visit the State’s new fraud webpage to learn how to report it.

New York “Fair Trial/Free Press” Conference

Sponsored by the New York Fair Trial/Free Press Conference, the Committee on Media Law, and the New York State Bar Association, this conference will be held Friday, March 10, 2017 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Featuring a distinguished panel of federal and state judges, prosecutors, print and broadcast journalists, and defense and media counsel, the program will explore the interplay of First Amendment rights to attend and report on criminal trials and the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial.

Attendees can learn about the use of video recordings on smartphones, the use of social media as evidence and media and the law.

The event is free for NYSBA Members and Members of the Press.

For more information, click here.

New York State's Top Ten Frauds Of 2016: Beware Of Scammers

Marking the start of National Consumer Protection Week, New York State Officials have released a list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by the Attorney General's office in 2016:

1. Internet (internet services & service providers; data privacy & security; consumer frauds)
2. Automobile (buying, leasing, repair, service contracts, rentals)
3. Consumer-Related Services (security systems; restaurant/catering services; tech repairs)
4. Landlord/Tenant Disputes (Security deposit releases, tenant-harassment)
5. Utilities (Wireless and Residential Phones; Energy Servicers & Suppliers; Cable and Satellite)
6. Credit (debt collection; credit card billing; debt settlement; payday loans; credit repair; credit reporting agencies; identity theft)
7. Retail Sales (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own)
8. Home Repair/Construction (home improvement services not delivered or done poorly)
9. Mortgage (mortgage modifications; mortgage and loan broker fraud; foreclosures)
10. Mail Order (purchases made online or from a catalog)

In addition, the attorney general's office has offered a variety of tips on how to avoid scams in the future.

For more on these scams, and how to avoid them, click here.

Airbnb and Schuyler County Reach Tax Collection Agreement

Schuyler County and Airbnb have announced an agreement to allow the world’s largest home sharing platform to collect and remit county hotel occupancy taxes on behalf of thousands of guests who visit the county every year.

The agreement, which goes into effect Wednesday (March 1), is expected to grow the county’s tax base and allow the Airbnb community to contribute its fair share of taxes.

Airbnb collaborated with Schuyler County officials, including County Treasurer Harriett Vickio, County Attorney Steven Getman and County Administrator Tim O’Hearn to design and carry out the agreement.

For more information, click here.

Forensics Conference at NY Law School

On February 28, the New York State Bar Association will host “Forensics and the Law VI: Shifting Paradigms” at New York Law School Auditorium, 185 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013. The event runs from 10:00 am to 2:45 pm.

The topics are:

• The Flaws in Microscopic Hair Comparison Evidence
• Challenging Science in the Criminal Justice System
• Forensic Pathology Perspectives on Questioned Diagnoses
• Panel Discussion: Flawed Forensics, Shifting Paradigms

For more information, click here.

Let's talk Medicare

New York may have your money, here’s how to get it back

The State of New York may have some of your unclaimed funds.

The New York State Comptroller's Outreach Program seeks to increase public awareness about the Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF). To achieve this goal, the Comptroller’s Outreach Program participates in a variety of public events across the State.

In addition, people can search the OUF database to see if they have any unclaimed funds and learn how to file a claim.

For more information, visit this website.