A Santa Clarita Valley man plead guilty Tuesday to federal charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for sham companies, officials said. Raymond Magana, 40, of Santa Clarita, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, funds he obtained by filing tax documents for fake ...

As Los Angeles County officials begin the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, public safety officials are providing residents with tips on how to avoid potential scams. On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department posted a list of tips to help residents avoid scams associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. “As the COVID-19 virus vaccines begins distributing to Los Angeles County ...

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has warned the public about obituary scams in Los Angeles.  “In the Obituary Scam, thieves scan death notices in local news outlets and call the deceased’s relatives, demanding money to pay off a purported unpaid debt,” said a news release.  Crooks also target widows and widowers by posing as messengers, delivering items, claiming ...

Officials are providing tips to the public to not become a victim of contact tracing scams, officials said Wednesday. Earlier in the week, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that $20 gift cards were expected to be given to individuals with coronavirus who participate in contact tracing. However, public health experts are now warning the public that scammers ...

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office is encouraging Santa Clarita residents to hang up on social security scammers in an effort to protect personal information.   “Social security is on the minds of seniors, especially those who are retired or close to retirement. It’s also on the minds of fraudsters,” said Deputy District Attorney Elena Abramson in a video. “Which ...

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a Santa Clarita investment firm for allegedly defrauding their clients, officials said Tuesday. Criterion Wealth Management Insurance Services, Inc., an investment advisory firm, and co-owners Robert Gravette and Mark MacArthur, are accused of breaching their fiduciary duty and defrauding their advisory clients by failing to disclose significant financial conflicts of interest when recommending ...

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives are looking for potential victims of an unlicensed contractor scam, officials said Tuesday. Multiple Santa Clarita Valley homeowners reported to the Sheriff’s Station they were victimized by a suspect who allegedly collected thousands of dollars for home improvement projects without completing any of the work or delivering products as promised, according to Shirley Miller, ...

An unexpected gift on Valentine’s Day might seem like a nice way to a loved one’s heart, but these deliveries may also give scammers a direct route to a victim’s credit card, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.   Deputy District Attorney Ben Forer explains that in the “Bogus Delivery Scam,” the victim gets a phone call ...

Santa Clarita residents are warned to be on the lookout for scams targeting seniors, such as the “blessing scam,” according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. LADA officials warned residents against a scam possibly targeting seniors in the Santa Clarita area, the “blessing scam”, wherein con artists take advantage of victim’s religious beliefs to extort money from them. ...

A Santa Clarita bride was sentenced to five years in jail for a wedding fraud scheme she concocted to rip off The Knot website — not once, but twice, officials said Monday. Vermyttya Miller, 37, of Santa Clarita, was ordered to pay $22,500 in restitution after pleading no contest to one count of felony insurance fraud, according to the California ...