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7 Investigates: Former scammer describes how scammers work to help shoppers avoid becoming victims

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and so is the season for scammers trying to take your money.In tonight’s 7 Investigates, Samantha Kummerer spoke with a former scammer about how the thieves work so you don’t become a victim.“My first year in the university was kind of tough,” said Chris Maxwell. “So I needed to make money for myself. You know, my parents really were not making enough money.”Maxwell is a former scammer who spoke to us from his home in Nigeria.“It’s difficult for me to get clothes, for myself to eat,” he said.At least 65 percent of Nigerians live in poverty.To make money, Chris learned to scam women who were looking for love. He followed a 39-page guide to find his victims.But he has since changed his life, going from criminal to consultant for the website Social Catfish to check if profiles or products are real or fake.“I felt so pitiful,” he said.This holiday season, he’s using his expertise to warn shopper...

Five things to know about Maryland’s investment in the Orioles and Ravens

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

Two of Baltimore’s most recognizable buildings and brands are its two pro stadiums, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, and the teams that inhabit them.The Orioles and Ravens bring attention, pride and joy to Maryland — and Maryland gives a lot of taxpayer dollars back to the teams.A large public investmentThe state of Maryland built and financed both of the Baltimore stadiums and, last year, agreed to earmark at least $1.2 billion to improve the stadiums — $600 million for each. The principal and interest on the bonds sold to cover those costs ultimately would be paid off with lottery revenue.The Orioles, whose lease with the state expires Dec. 31, are currently negotiating a new lease with more state resources.According to a Baltimore Sun review of financial documents obtained in public records requests and interviews with experts, the MLB club has received or is on track to get at least $1.3 billion in public benefits since Oriole Park opened i...

King Philip runs away from Marshfield, claims the Div. 2 title

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

FOXBORO – King Philip football head coach Brian Lee was a little nervous that the relief of avenging consecutive losses in the Div. 2 Super Bowl would outweigh the joy of winning in the program’s third straight appearance Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.Once he took a look at his players in closing minutes of the top-seeded Warriors’ 42-14 win over No. 3 Marshfield, though, that fear was put to rest.Behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Tommy McLeish, three more scores from Tallan King and four total turnovers from the defense as part of a second-half shutout, he’ll never know how a third straight loss at this stage would’ve affected him.A complete effort produced 28 unanswered points against a Rams team that averaged over 50 points this postseason, and King Philip (13-0) is champion again for the first time since 2017.“Seeing the kids’ faces, it just makes it all worth it,” Lee said. “I told my good friend, Darren, today, I’m like, ‘I don’t think I can handle another (l...

Bruins end three-game skid with 3-0 win over Sharks

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

A win over the basement-dwelling San Jose Sharks would not have meant a whole lot to the Bruins a week ago. But after three straight ugly losses in which the B’s allowed 17 goals, any positive development was welcome.Though the B’s started a tad slowly, they nailed down a 3-0 win over the Sharks on Thursday at the Garden, with a couple of encouraging style points to boot. They got goals from both of their rejiggered top six lines, they pushed back emphatically when challenged physically and Jeremy Swayman (28 saves), pulled in his last start through little fault of his own, posted his second shutout of the season.The B’s had a long way to go to get their game back to respectability, but it was a good first step. After a tepid start, coach Jim Montgomery liked his team’s checking game, something he hasn’t been able to say in the last week.“It was really important,” said Montgomery. “You give up 17 goals in three games and we didn’...

Girl, 12, sexually assaulted by man claiming to be 15: SDPD

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, and there may be more victims, San Diego police said Thursday.Police say the suspect, who claimed to be a 15-year-old boy during his interactions with the victim, sexually assaulted the girl at her home."Investigators have reason to believe there might be other unreported victims who had been sexually assaulted by him either at their homes or his home," police said in a release. Mikey Williams pleads guilty to single count of making criminal threats Police have only identified the suspect by his first name of Romero.Anyone with information about the case was asked to call San Diego Police Department or Crime Stoppers.

DeSantis, Newsom clash over COVID-19 in testy debate: Live updates

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) sparred Thursday over issues including COVID-19 policies and immigration in a televised debate hosted by Fox News.Sean Hannity is moderating the "Great Red vs. Blue State Debate," a culmination of months of rising tensions between the political rivals. While DeSantis will be the sole 2024 presidential candidate on stage, stakes are high for both governors. Here's how to watch the event, which will be held at 9 p.m. EST live from Alpharetta, Ga.And follow along here for live updates.

Maple Leafs’ Marner nets hat trick, shootout winner against Kraken

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored a hat trick and netted the shootout winner to give his team a 4-3 win against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.The 26-year-old entered the game not having scored a goal since Nov. 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s Marner’s second career hat trick. Without a point in his last three outings, Marner had been a focus of attention over the last stretch in Toronto for admittedly sub-par play – along with Auston Matthews – on the Leafs’ top line. Head coach Sheldon Keefe split up his dynamic duo ahead of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout win over Florida, looking for a spark.Marner opened the scoring in the first period and added his next goal in the second to give Toronto an early 2-0 lead. After Jared McCann and the Kraken answered, Marner would score his third goal of the game on a breakaway. The Kraken would tie the game 3-3 to force overtime, leading to another shootout for the Maple Leafs. After Matthews beat...

Greens win second Ontario seat in provincial byelection

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

The Green Party of Ontario doubled its ranks in the provincial legislature with a byelection Thursday sending a second representative to join party leader Mike Schreiner.Aislinn Clancy won handily in Kitchener Centre over the New Democratic candidate, in what had been an NDP riding since 2018. Clancy, a social worker and city councillor, is now just the second Green member of provincial parliament in Ontario after Schreiner, who represents the nearby riding of Guelph.“The Green Party has a caucus now,” said Andrea Perrella, an associate professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University.“Two heads are better than one and one head (Schreiner) is already doing quite a bit of work. Likely the dynamics will be that much more interesting. Now, it’s not as if the Greens will have much more of a say, as a backbench party. The capacity for interventions in legislative affairs is fairly limited. But just the same, their visibility has doubled.”Mike Mor...

'Dude, where's my car?': Winter parking ban goes into effect tonight

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

CHICAGO — There are just hours left until Chicago's winter parking ban goes into effect, but what does that exactly mean for street parking in the City?"Starting at 3 a.m., tow trucks will be lining up to move cars parked along 107 miles of some of the city’s busiest streets," said Cole Stallard, commission for the City's Department of Streets and Sanitation.From Dec. 1 until April 1, there is no parking allowed from 3-7 a.m. on streets that display the signs below:A map of the 107 miles of streets affected by the winter parking ban can be found at the end of this article.According to Stallard, 242 cars were towed on Dec. 1 last year when the winter parking ban went into effect last year."I look down my window, don’t see my car down there," said one Chicagoan who was among the 242 towed on Dec. 1 last year. "I look down the street and see just a bunch of tow trucks. So I sprint down and I'm like telling this guy, 'I'll give you cash, just give me my car back!' and he was like, 'you ...

Survivors of Our Lady of the Angels tell their story on solemn anniversary

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:14:10 GMT

CHICAGO — Sixty-five years ago Friday marks one of the worst school fires in our nation’s history.Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School in Chicago’s Humboldt Park left a staggering number of children and three nuns dead.Our Lady of the Angels parish was the center of the community, home to generations of families who grew up attending the school and the church. But their lives were forever changed on that frigid Monday in 1958.The fire which started in a paper-filled barrel in the basement slowly simmered. Fifteen minutes later, it grew. enveloping the North Wing of the school trapping hundreds of students on the second floor.Laura Bisconti was in Room 208. “Sister Canice, our nun, she went to the open door and more smoke came in so she said, ‘Keep it closed. Do not go out. “ay on the floor and put your head down and just pray,’” Bisconti said.Ron Sarno was 10, trapped in Room 210 with his younger sister, Joanne. “We got separated in the chaos and I managed to get to the ...