Results tagged “scams”

Some food-cart vendors are serving up lunch specials with a hearty helping of identity theft. The NY Post reports the city's Department of Investigation is looking into widespread illegal renewal of food-cart permits by scammers who assume the identities of former food-cart operators. These permits—many of which belong to dead or emigrated vendors—are then renewed and resold for absurd premiums on the black market. Post reporters found some cart permits going for as much as $46,000, sold by a broker demanding, "Everything is in cash. Paid in full." Beyond the whole identity theft thing, of course, the scam also makes it harder for legitimate vendors to obtain permits, which, like taxi medallions, are issued in limited numbers. One Manhattan food-cart operator blames the way permit applications are handled for allowing these cheaters to prosper. Because permits can be renewed by mail, he says the scam becomes "an easy thing to get away with."

If Craigslist wasn't in the doghouse enough these days with prostitution rings getting broken up and murders being linked to the site, here comes consumer investigator Arnold Diaz waving that judgmental finger of his at the site's real estate section. While lately it seems like there's actually been some optimism in the air about the price of apartments around town significantly dropping, along comes a scammer offering "The Homeboy Hookup" to rain on everyone's parade.

A trio of helpful hustlers have hit the streets of New York and are pulling scams on city residents. All in the name of education! Hidden cameras catch their tricks and viewers of their show, The Real Hustle, can learn how to avoid and prevent the sketchy situations.