PIKESVILLE, MD—The Maryland State Police Cyber Task Force is warning consumers to continue to proceed with caution while shopping online to avoid potential scams this holiday season. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) 2021 report, non-payment or non-delivery scams cost people more than $337 million annually. Credit card fraud accounted for another $173 million in losses. Consumers can […]
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday announced preliminary recommendations for the state’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget, a plan that supports continued economic growth and community revitalization, strong fiscal responsibility and budget sustainability, and key investments in critical areas—including expanding access to health care for rural and vulnerable communities. “I pledged to bring fiscal responsibility and common sense to our […]
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced that the State of Maryland has issued an emergency cybersecurity directive to prohibit the use of certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms for the executive branch of state government, including TikTok. These entities present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage, […]
WASHINGTON, DC—On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would extend the REAL ID full enforcement date by 24 months, from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025. Under the new regulations published to execute this change, states will now have additional time to ensure their residents have driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security standards established […]
REISTERSTOWN, MD—The Maryland Department of Emergency Management this week announced awards totaling more than $8.7 million in federal homeland security grant funds to 68 nonprofit organizations around the state. The awards are funded by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). “This funding provides much needed financial support to nonprofit groups, which are […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Office of the Attorney General is warning residents of a scheme in which fraudsters are impersonating the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance in text messages. To remain protected from fraud, residents should access the BEACON claimant portal by visiting https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/beacon/claimant-page.html directly, or by using the MD Unemployment for Claimants mobile app. Anyone who receives a […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland State Police and the Maryland Department of Labor Unemployment Division are tracking and combating illegal schemes in which fraudsters are impersonating the Division in email correspondence, text messages, and phone calls with the intent of stealing unemployment insurance benefits. The Department of Labor is coordinating with Maryland State Police to alert the public about these ongoing and […]
WASHINGTON, DC—On Tuesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be extending the REAL ID full enforcement date by 19 months, from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023, due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Officials say the pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant […]