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The 11 children were so famished, the sheriff said, they "looked like third-world country refugees."But they weren't found in an underdeveloped country. They were discovered in a remote New Mexico compound where an underground trailer kept them hidden from the outside world."The only food we saw were a few potatoes and a box of rice in the filthy trailer," Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said."But what was most surprising and heartbreaking was when the team located a total of five adults and 11 children that looked like third-world country refugees not only with no food or fresh water, but with no shoes, personal hygiene and basically dirty rags for clothing."Authorities were tipped off to the scene in Amalia, near the Colorado border, after someone forwarded a message believed to be from a third party. The message said, in part, "we are starving and need food and water." 894

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning that the number of online puppy scams has risen sharply in 2020. The rise in scams comes as more families seek to adopt pets to ease the loneliness, tension or boredom associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.Scammers are taking advantage of the rising demand by tricking would-be pet owners into paying hundreds of dollars or more to purchase animals that ultimately don¡¯t exist.The BBB says its Scam Tracker has received nearly 4,000 reports of pet fraud so far this year and the bureau projects it will receive about 4,300 reports by the end of 2020, amounting to approximately .1 million in losses. Last year, there were only 1,870 pet scams reported, amounting to just over million.The BBB says it started to see this spike in scams when the pandemic hit the U.S. in the spring. Accordingly, there were more reports in April than in the first three months of the year combined. This trend is continuing into the holiday season as well. The BBB says it received 337 complaints about puppy scams in 2020, which is a dramatic increase from 77 for the same month in 2019.The median loss reported to Scam Tracker this year is 0 and victims between 35 and 55 accounted for half of the reports.With scammers evolving their tactics during these difficult times, the BBB says consumers should exercise extreme caution when shopping for pets online.Data from the Scam Tracker shows that mobile payment apps like Zelle and CashApp are often being used now, whereas Western Union or MoneyGram wire transfers were popular payment methods documented in a 2017 study. Also, the BBB says pet scammers now commonly use online advertising tools, like sponsored links to boost their fraudulent listings in search results.Additionally, the pandemic has given scammers a new tool in their arsenal. Reports show many fraudsters are telling victims they cannot meet the animals before sending money because of COVID-19. To combat this, experts recommend using video conferencing to meet the animal and owner virtually before buying.Scammers have also made COVID-19-related money requests for items such as climate-controlled crates, insurance and non-existent COVID-19 vaccines.Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO, says knowing the red flags associated with these pet scams can help consumers avoid heartache and losing their money.The BBB recommends the following when buying pets online:See the pet in person before paying any money. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, consider a video call with the seller so you can see the seller and the actual pet for sale. Since scammers are not likely to comply with the request, this may help avoid a scam.Do a reverse image search of the photo of the pet and search for a distinctive phrase in the description.Do research to get a sense of a fair price for the breed you are considering. Think twice if someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price ¡­ it could be a fraudulent offer.Check out a local animal shelter online for pets you can meet before adopting.BBB urges more law enforcement action against pet scammers.The public should help to educate those looking for pets online by sharing BBB¡¯s tips and study.Click here to learn more. 3267

Swiss authorities are investigating a series of bizarre deposits.Investigators in Geneva are trying to understand why two Spanish women flushed roughly €100,000 (0,000) down toilets at a UBS bank branch and three nearby restaurants.Vincent Derouand of the Geneva Prosecutors' Office said the first incident involving cut-up €500 bills occurred in May.Security camera footage led investigators to the two Spanish women. Derouand said that a lawyer for the women confirmed the cash belonged to them."It may be illegal [cash] and they tried to get rid of it," Derouand said. "We have to check where the money is coming from."Derouand declined to identify the women."This is a strange story," he said. "It does not happen often."UBS declined to comment on the cash found at the Geneva branch, citing the ongoing investigation.The European Central Bank plans to kill off the €500 note next year because of concerns that it "could facilitate illicit activities."Europe's top law enforcement agency says the note (worth about 0) is often used by money launderers because of its unusually large denomination and portability. Plus, using cash helps criminals keep transactions and savings anonymous.In a 2015 report, Europol said cash was still the "instrument of choice" for terrorists and €500 bills were in high demand.Switzerland was long known for banking privacy laws that made it possible for banks to refuse to hand over their customers' data to authorities.But in recent years the country has agreed to start sharing financial information with outsiders, including the European Union and the U.S. 1610

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. -- Dozens of people tested positive for the coronavirus and hundreds were quarantined after an outbreak in Suffolk County, New York, linked to a sweet 16 party, County Executive Steve Bellone said Tuesday.The party took place at the Miller Place Inn on Sept. 25, with a guest list of 81 people.The Miller Place Inn was fined ,000 for violating state executive orders and health laws, and ,000 for violating county rules.Several positive COVID-19 cases in the Sachem School District were reported to the county on Sept. 30, and during the course of their investigation, the county discovered that the cases were connected to the sweet 16 party.Following a contact tracing investigation, the county identified 37 positive cases connected to the party; 270 people were told to quarantine.It's the first time a businesses was fined by the Suffolk County Health Department over COVID-19-related violations.Bellone said that for the county, this qualifies as a super spreader event.¡°This was an egregious violation and should serve as a stark reminder of the consequences that exist for flouting COVID-19 protocols,¡± said Bellone. ¡°These rules and regulations exist for a reason - to keep New Yorkers safe - and we all have an obligation to act responsibly.¡±This story was originally published by Corey Crockett at WPIX. 1348

Starbucks wants to transform some of its stores to prioritize customers who order online, according to an SEC filing.The coffee chain says it is accelerating plans to improve drive-thru and curbside pick-up options due to the coronavirus pandemic.In its filing, Starbucks says it plans to open 300 locations that "specialize" in pick-up and carry-out orders. The company also says the move will require the closure of about 400 of its current cafes.Starbucks says it will make the change over the next 18 months.CNN reports that Starbucks was already re-evaluating its strategy prior to the pandemic, as "80% of transactions at nearly 15,000 US stores are 'on-the-go' purchases."At the peak of the pandemic, when local governments forced the closure of restaurant dining rooms, Starbucks continued to operate many of its locations exclusively through drive-thrus and online ordering. 891

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