Scammers Harvest Granite Staters
FBI Says Fake Callers Have Collected $90,000 From Gullible People
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says Granite Staters have fallen victim to nearly $90,000 in scams from callers claiming to be representatives of government agencies.
New Englanders are receiving unsolicited telephone calls claiming that sending “settlement” money will avoid costly court fees associated with pending charges that will be brought against them. The callers claim to be associated with the FBI or other agencies, threatening to confiscate the recipient’s property, freeze their bank accounts, or arrest them unless they wire the settlement fees.
The FBI Boston Division said 38 of the scam victims were New Hampshire residents who lost a total of $89,382 to the scammers. Those who questioned the request found the caller to get more aggressive until they agreed to wire the money or provide payment through a gift card or prepaid credit card.
Saved By The Feds
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation told members of the Senate Finance Committee that $41 million in federal pandemic money will allow the department to maintain staff and operations that had been threatened by falling gasoline tax revenues.
President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure program, if passed, could only be used for construction, not for operating expenses, Commissioner Victoria Sheehan told the panel.
Vehicle registrations, which also support operations, have fallen during the pandemic, and gasoline tax revenues had been falling even before the pandemic as vehicles have become more fuel-efficient.
House budget writers increased the DOT budget by $19 million from the state’s general fund to help make up for the shortfall, and Sheehan said even federal money will be insufficient to maintain operations in future years.
Special Education Is Just OK
Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut told the Senate Finance Committee that he does not think his department will need all the special education money that the House included in its budget to pay school districts for catastrophic special education costs.
Federal emergency relief funding for special education increased by $10.5 million, and Edelblut said that money will cover school districts for the next three years. He said that, added to the $30.8 million in his budget, it should be enough money to cover school districts’ costs.
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