Welcome to the Veazie Police Department’s website! Our staff provides full-time professional police services to a town of approximately 2000 residents, nestled between the City of Bangor to the south and the Town of Orono to the north. Our website is designed to provide you with important information about the department, its services to the community and news events throughout the town. We welcome and encourage feedback from the public with any suggestions, comments, questions or concerns you may have regarding the Veazie Police Department. Contact information for each member of our department is located under the Personnel tab on the top menu bar of the website. Thank you for visiting!
Sep 20 2019
ID Theft–Fake Government Websites
Criminals Host Fake Government Services Web Sites to Acquire Personally Identifiable Information and to Collect Fraudulent Fees
From May 2012 to March 2015, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received complaints regarding criminals hosting fraudulent government services websites in order to acquire Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and to collect fraudulent fees from consumers.
Although the volume and loss amounts associated with these websites are minimal to date, the victims are having their PII data compromised which may be used by criminals for any number of other illicit activities, ranging from the creation of fraudulent IDs and passports to fraudulent loans and tax refunds. The PII can include the victim’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address, social security number, date of birth, and mother’s maiden name.
This is how the scheme usually happens: victims use a search engine to search for government services such as obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or replacement social security card. The fraudulent criminal websites are the first to appear in search results, prompting the victims to click on the fraudulent government services website. The victim completes the required fraudulently posted forms for the government service they need. The victim submits the form online, believing they are providing their PII to government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, or similar agency based on the service they need. Once the forms are completed and submitted, the fraudulent website usually requires a fee to complete the service requested. The fees typically range from $29 to $199 based on the government service requested. Once the fees are paid the victim is notified they need to send their birth certificate, driver’s license, employee badge, or other personal items to a specified address. The victim is then told to wait a few days to several weeks for processing. By the time the victim realizes it is a scam, they may have had extra charges billed to their credit/debit card, had a third-party designee added to their EIN card, and never received the service(s) or documents requested. Additionally, all of their PII data has been compromised by the criminals running the websites and can be used for any number of illicit purposes. The potential harm gets worse for those who send their birth certificate or other government-issued identification to the perpetrator.
Follow-up calls or e-mails to the perpetrator(s) are normally ignored and many victims report the customer service telephone numbers provided are out of service. The FBI recommends that consumers ensure they are communicating or requesting services/merchandise from a legitimate source by verifying the entity. When dealing with government websites, look for the .gov domain instead of a .com domain (e.g. www.ssa.gov and not www.ssa.com).
Below are some consumer tips when using government services or contacting agencies online:
- Use search engines or other websites to research the advertised services or person/company you plan to deal with.
- Search the Internet for any negative feedback or reviews on the government services company, their Web site, their e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other searchable identifiers.
- Research the company policies before completing a transaction.
- Be cautious when surfing the Internet or responding to advertisements and special offers.
- Be cautious when dealing with persons/companies from outside the country.
- Maintain records for all online transactions.
As a consumer, if you suspect you are a victim of an Internet-related crime, you may file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.
Apr 24 2014
Bail set at $25,000 for pair accused of stealing 9 mm handgun in nighttime break-ins
BANGOR, Maine — Two local men suspected of being part of a burglary ring that executed nighttime break-ins at homes in Bangor, Veazie and Orrington earlier this month made their first appearances before a judge Tuesday at the Penobscot Judicial Center.
William Cushman, 22, of Brewer and Randall Cressey, 23, of Hampden each are charged with one count of Class B burglary and Class C theft in separate break-ins. Cushman also is charged with Class B theft in connection with a break-in the night of April 10 and 11 at a home in Veazie in which a firearm, which has been recovered, was stolen.
Cressey was charged in connection with an Orrington burglary the night of April 11 and 12, according to the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office. He allegedly stole two large containers of change then redeemed it, with the help of other suspects, for $176 in bills at a Bangor grocery store.
The men, who were arrested Friday, were not asked to enter pleas because they have not yet been indicted by a Penobscot County grand jury.
The men are scheduled to appear in court again on June 10.
District Court Judge Bruce Jordan set bail at $25,000 cash for each defendant — the amount recommended by the prosecutor due to the nature of the crimes and the men’s criminal histories.
“It is an extremely dangerous person who will take the risk to commit this kind of crime — breaking into homes in the middle of the night,” Jordan said in setting the high cash bail. “Twenty-five thousand dollars is very reasonable.”
Bail conditions include the men not having contact with each other and three others whom Stephen Burlock, assistant district attorney for Penobscot County, described as suspects in the case.
One of them, Courtney Braley, 18, of Bangor, was arrested with Cushman and Cressey but has not been formally charged by the district attorney’s office. The Bangor Daily News is not naming the others because they have not yet been arrested.
Braley is Cressey’s girlfriend and is five months pregnant, according to Joe Belisle, who acted as his attorney Tuesday.
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday, when it announced that Cushman and Cressey had been arrested, that it expected more charges would be filed against the men and that other arrests were expected.
If convicted, the men face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $20,000 on the Class B charges. They face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 on the Class C crimes. They also could be ordered to pay restitution to victims.
