On Sunday the Connecticut Post ran a story about an elderly woman that was the victim of fraud. She received a phone call from a person pretending to be her grandson and claiming he needed bail money to get of a Canadian jail. Over $2,000 later, it became apparent that the person on the other end of the phone was not actually her grandson.
(See story here- http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Fairfield-woman-swindled-in-bogus-call-for-help-333809.php)
In 2008, Connecticut residents reported 2,278 fraud complaints which cost a total of $2.1 million. These scams can come in variety of different ways including bogus phone calls, or fake letters and emails. Whatever the case may be, the perpetrators have little regard for the people they are targeting and are willing to pick on peoples’ trust and emotion to trick them out of their hard-earned dollars.
I urge you to be careful when contacted by anyone asking for money and do your best to confirm the person is actually who they claim to be. Be vigilant, if you are in any way unsure of the identity of the person making contact with you please do not hesitate to contact your local authorities. Lastly, speak to your family members, particularly the elderly, and clearly explain the dangers that exist. For more information regarding frauds and scams that we must all be aware of, please visit the Department of Consumer Protection website at www.ct.gov/dcp.
If you have any questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
DebraLee
