Upstate NY man’s $420k mail fraud scheme involved fake law firms, 500+ victims

Upstate NY man’s $420k mail fraud scheme involved fake law firms, 500+ victims

A man in Upstate New York pleaded guilty to a massive mail scam which defrauded people across the United States out of almost a half million dollars. According to prosecutors, Nicholas Janes, 26, of Buffalo, NY, contacted people across the country by phone, telling them they had debt due on an alleged unpaid loan. He would mislead people by claiming to be a local sheriff’s deputy or an attorney at a fake law firm.

Fake Courts, Fake Judges: Asylum Seekers Tell of Scams Meant to Prey on Immigrant Fears - City Limits

During a city council hearing, immigrants and their advocates shared stories of fraud, much of which is conducted over social media. Christian, who did not give his last name for fear of being targeted by the federal government, told a New York City Council hearing Tuesday about how he was scammed by immigration fraudsters. (Screenshot from NY City Council hearing webcast) During a New York City Council hearing about immigration services fraud o…