scam

Tax refund scammer arrested

Shannon Mays

It’s been roughly five years since Syam Investments, its owner Shannon Mays and affiliates like Diana Broussard McCoy from Port Arthur were exposed in the pages of this newspaper for bilking hundreds of Southeast Texans out of tens of thousands of dollars. And since then, those who say they were victimized by the group have been waiting for some form of justice.

But now, with the suspected criminal mastermind behind bars, they may at long last get their day in court.

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Fraud alert: Pinehurst police chief warns residents of phone scam

Pinehurst Police Chief Fred Hanauer is warning residents that scammers are targeting the area with the popular "Publisher's Clearing House" con, which has recently been featured in The Examiner and is still circulating after years. 

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Sheriff's office warns of phishing scam

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is warning local residents about a phishing scam targeting the area and citing a lawsuit, ironically, involving a fishing and bait company.

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Word to the Wise: Old home healthcare employment scam claims new victim

An old scam involving bad checks and bogus job opportunities has claimed a new victim, reports the Orange Police Department (OPD).

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Port Arthur police warn public of ticket scam

Police in Port Arthur are warning the public that callers posing as emergency dispatchers are contacting city residents to tell them they have outstanding tickets and threatening arrest if they don't send money immediately. 

According to a news release from the Port Arthur Police Department, they have received multiple reports from people who were called by a number that appeared to be the Port Arthur Police 9-1-1 Dispatch Operators and told to send money via Western Union right away or get thrown in jail.

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Local computer expert, businessman warns of tech support scams

Local computer expert and business owner Keith Culotta of Computer Dimensions in Beaumont contacted The Examiner after reading our recent reports of scams affecting the community to express his concern about a tech support scheme.

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IRS impersonation scam still claiming victims

IRS logo

It’s July and tax season may be over, but that isn’t stopping scammers impersonating IRS agents from calling to collect whatever they can steal from unwitting victims, reports Detective Lisa Jardine of the Beaumont Police Department.

Jardine’s own family was recently the target of such a scam, but the longtime law enforcer didn’t fall prey to the confidence trick and instead had a little fun of her own.

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Local couple victimized in scam breaks silence in hopes of saving others

Tracy and Michele Byrd were recently the victims of a real estate scam.

While FBI studies and information from the National Crime Prevention Council (NPCP) indicate the elderly are attractive targets for fraudsters, literally anyone can be taken by a scam – no matter their age, no matter their intelligence. Even law enforcement officers like Lt.

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Deceptive directories still using ‘Yellow Pages’ name, logo to scam small businesses

scam invoice

After years of scattered success scamming citizens, look-alike business directories continue to target small businesses and companies across the country using the Yellow Pages name and walking fingers logo to swindle profits from proprietors, reports the BBB and FTC.

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Fake e-mails pose as WhatsApp

BBB logo

Scammers are always taking advantage of what’s new and popular. This time it’s WhatsApp, a smart phone application that allows users to send text, video and audio messages via the Internet. Scammers are impersonating the app to spread malware.

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