Page 4 - qt edition #3 January 16, 2025

PAGE 4 THE QUEENS TIMES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025

AG James Stops Text Message Scam
Targeting Vulnerable New Yorkers
Looking For Remote Job Opportunities

(Continued from page 3) withdraw anything.
During the course of its in-
transparent purchases on regis- vestigation, OAG secured Tether
It’s In Queens! tered, licensed, and centralized Limited’s voluntary agreement
(JAN. 17 to JAN. 23) platforms, including Coinbase, and cooperation to freeze the sto-
Gemini, and Crypto.com. Victims len USDT, and the Queens County
Three-time Grammy winner were then tricked into sending District Attorney’s Office secured
their crypto to un-hosted digital a search warrant to freeze USDC
Branford Marsalis is the big name
in Queens this week. But the leg- wallets, which make the tokens stolen in the scam. Because the
harder to trace and the scammers cryptocurrency has been frozen,
endary saxophonist gets plenty
of competition from MLK Day impossible to identify or locate. it is available to be recovered and
Leaving centralized, registered, returned to the scammers’ victims
events, a wide array of comedians,
Balkan culture, and unique musi- licensed platforms allowed the under court approval.
scammers to avoid “know-your-
In the lawsuit, Attorney General
cal combinations.
customer” safeguards and execute James seeks to become the first
• Jan. 17, Zlatne Uste Golden off-chain conversions from USDC government regulator to provide
Festival, Jan. 18. This 39th annual to USDT that clouded the origin notice of litigation by depositing a
and movement of the cryptocur-
nonfungible token (NFT) into the
bash celebrates Balkan traditions MoMIChisolm
(Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek, rency. Some scammers separately wallets used to steal the victims’
urged victims who encountered cryptocurrency. Service by NFT
Macedonian, Romany, Serbian,
and Turkish). Food, handcrafted cryptocurrency platform limits will provide the scammers with
to send them U.S. dollars directly notice of the litigation by giving
goods, and music. Jan. 17 at 7 pm
with a Balkan dance workshop using money services businesses, them a link to an OAG website
such as Wise, and promising to containing all of the pleadings.
at 7:30 pm. Jan. 18 at 5:30 pm
with four stages and more than buy the cryptocurrency for them. No other state or federal regula-
One New York victim was tor has served a lawsuit using this
50 bands and choruses. Astoria
World Manor, 25-22 Astoria Blvd. defrauded out of over $100,000 method before.
from the text message scheme. Attorney General James encour-
• Jan. 17, Chisholm ’72: Un-
bought and Unbossed, Jan. 20. The victim received a text mes- ages New Yorkers who believe
sage offering remote work with they are a victim of a text message
Two screenings of this 2004 docu-
mentary on Shirley Chisholm, “numerous benefits and flexible scam involving fake remote work
requirements.” The victim was job opportunities to file an online
who was the first black woman
elected to Congress. From there, BMQuartet promised a registration bonus and complaint with her office.
25 percent commissions gener-
Attorney General James thanks
the Brooklyn Democrat sought
her party’s presidential nomina- ated during a mandatory training the Queens County District At-
period. A scammer, posing as a torney’s Office for referring this
tion. Jan 17 at 5:15 pm. Jan 20
at 2 pm. Museum of the Moving trainer, helped the victim set up matter and assisting OAG with
the investigation and digital asset
a wallet on LBank, a cryptocur-
Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s
Kaufman Arts District. rency platform that allows users tracing.
to buy, sell, and store their cryp-
Attorney General James also
• Jan. 17, Classy Vibes Stand Up,
10:30 pm. Watch comedians who tocurrencies. Once the victim thanks the U.S. Secret Service for
established a wallet, the scammer their assistance in this matter.
have performed on Netflix, HBO,
Comedy Central, and more. Clay instructed the victim on how to This matter is being handled
by Assistant Attorneys General
connect the wallet to a “work-
Horwitz (Laugh Factory, Comedy
Store) and Andrew Weiss (Ama- ing account” and purchase and Shantelee Christie and Jonathan
transfer stablecoins to the wallet Bashi, with assistance from Prin-
zon Prime) are the hosts. Toodles
& French, 36-15 Ditmars Blvd., in order to conduct product re- cipal Accountant Shalendra Ra-
views. The working accounts and madhin, Legal Assistants Char-
Astoria.
• Jan. 18, Mini-Global Mashup, product reviews did not exist and maine Blake and Eddie Aguilar,
took place on a false website the all of the Investor Protection
1 pm. Virtuoso DoYeon Kim
plays the Gayageum or traditional scammers used to impersonate a Bureau, and Senior Detective
legitimate company. The victim’s Brian Metz of the Investigations
Korean zither. Cooper-Moore
plays the diddley-bow, a one- stablecoins simply went to the Division. The Investor Protection
scammers’ wallets.
Bureau is led by Bureau Chief
stringed instrument rooted in the pm. NEA Jazz Master and three- vice Center, 222-02 149th Ave.,
Blues. Then, they jam together. time Grammy-winning saxophon- Springfield Gardens. When victims tried to pull out Shamiso Maswoswe and Deputy
their money, the scammers then Bureau Chief Kenneth Haim
Japanese drummer and percus- ist Branford Marsalis presents • Jan 21, Author Talk: Famous
sionist Satoshi Takeishi accompa- original compositions along with People of Queens, 7:30 pm. Rob invented fees such as a “credit and is a part of the Division for
score improvement fee” or a Economic Justice, which is led by
nies. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Jazz and popular classics, all su- MacKay discusses his Arcadia
Northern Blvd. percharged by his quartet’s energy Publishing book Famous People of “blockchain verification fee” or Chief Deputy Attorney General
an “escrow fee” that required the Chris D’Angelo and overseen by
• Jan. 18, Fifty Year Anniver- and telepathic musical connection. Queens with a slideshow. Bayside
sary, 7 pm. The Greek Cultural This special program includes a Historical Society, The Castle, 208 victims to put in more cryptocur- First Deputy Attorney General
rency but never allowed them to Jennifer Levy.
Center celebrates 50 years with recognition ceremony and keynote Totten Ave., Fort Totten.
music, dancing, food, and fun. address at 3 pm, followed by the • Jan. 22, In Practice: Anita QBP Richards Now Accepting
The honorary guests are Rita concert at 4 pm. Queens Col- Esfandiari, 6 pm. An opening
Antonopoulou, Violeta Ikari, and lege, Colden Auditorium, 153-49 reception for Anita Esfandiari’s Queens General Assembly
Kostas Triantafyllidis with artistic Reeves Ave., Flushing. sculptures, which juxtapose the Membership Applications
curation by Manolis Androulida- • Jan. 19, MLK Jr. Family Day materiality of Euro and Iranian
kis. Frank Sinatra School of the 2025, 2 pm. A free talk about Rial coins, highlighting the fluc- Application deadline: matched diversity — been more
Arts High School, 35-12 35th Ave., conflict resolution co-presented tuations and inequality in the Thursday, February 19 important than it is right now,”
Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District. by Urban Upbound, tours, a scav- two currency values over the last said Borough President RICH-
• Jan. 18, Family Day: Civil enger hunt, animation, and digital years. The exhibition is on display Queens Borough President ARDS. “If you have an interest
Rights Movement, 1 pm. Using media-making activities to cel- until Feb. 3. SculptureCenter, 44- Donovan Richards Jr. announced in uplifting your neighbors, serv-
photography and collage, families ebrate the Civil Rights activist’s 19 Purves St., Long Island City. today that he is accepting applica- ing your community and making
work with local artists to explore birth. Museum of the Moving • Jan 22, Queens College Choral tions from civic-minded individu- Queens a more inclusive borough,
the Civil Rights Movement and Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Society Auditions, 6 pm. Anyone als who are interested in serving I strongly encourage you to apply
produce posters and images in- Kaufman Arts District. with prior singing experience is as a Queens General Assembly for a spot on the Queens General
spired by the World’s Fair collec- • Jan 19, Watercolor Workshop, invited to audition for the Queens (QGA) delegate for 2025. Assembly this year.”
tion and A Billion Dollar Dream. 11 am. Painting class in the indoor College Choral Society. In Spring, The QGA, a borough-level in- Recruitment for the 2025 ses-
A scavenger hunt and a movie greenhouse collection. Materi- the group will rehearse and per- tercultural working group, brings sion continues through Thursday,
screening are included. Queens als provided. Recommended for form Verdi’s Requiem. Click here together community stakeholders February 19. Applicants will be
Museum, NYC Building, Flushing adults and children ages 10+ (who to sign up or send an e-mail to qc- of diverse backgrounds and com- contacted in mid-March, and ap-
Meadows Corona Park. must be accompanied by partici- choralsociety@gmail.com. mitments for monthly dialogues proximately two dozen finalists
• Jan. 18, Lunar New Year Read pating adult). Queens Botanical • Jan 22, Jest Kidding! Comedy and community actions that pro- will be appointed as delegates
Aloud, 11 am. Educators read Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing. Show, 7:30 pm. A night with some mote leadership enhancement, co- by the Borough President. An
stories to children (ages 5 and up) • Jan 20, MLK Jr Day of Service, of the best pro and emerging talent alition building, and networking. installation ceremony for the new
along with a surprise craft project 10 am. Volunteer with the Eastern in the Standup world. Get ready “We live in turbulent times, cohort of delegates will be held in
and refreshments. Bowne House, Queens Alliance and NYC Parks for jokes, odd stories, laughs, and and never has coming together as late March.
37-01 Bowne St., Flushing. to maintain Idlewild’s Trails. other nonsense. QED, 27-16 23rd a borough to embrace and foster
• Jan. 19, Branford Marsalis, 3 Idlewild Environmental Ser- Ave., Astoria. our greatest strength — our un- (Continued on page 11)