Danbury Police Warn Residents: Don't Fall Victim To Scams

The Police Department is describing several of these attempts with the intention of preventing people from falling victim to these types of scams, Lt. John M. Browne said in a statement. Several of these scams were successful while in several other cases the target victim suspected a scam and did not fall victim to the attempt, Browne said.

Here are the scams, according to police:

• An elderly Danbury couple received a phone call, and the caller claimed to be their grandchild. The caller stated that they had been arrested for DUI and was in need of bond money. The caller requested that they wire money to him for bail. There would be no circumstances where bail money would need to be wired.

• A Danbury resident received a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS advising them that they owed back taxes and that they had to be paid by 4 p.m. on that day. The caller requested that the money be sent through the use of Green Dot Cards, and the caller was then given the codes for these cards. Under no circumstances would the IRS employ this method for collecting back taxes.

• While attempting to purchase a vehicle through eBAY, a Danbury resident wired several payments via Western Union to an out-of-state resident who was purported to be the seller. After these money orders were sent, the victim was unable to locate this person and claim the vehicle.

• While attempting to pay for the deposit on an out-of-state apartment rental that he had found on Craiglist.com, the victim wired money to the supposed landlord. The victim later determined that this was a false listing and was unable to recover the wired money.

When using such methods to send money, residents should remember to have a full understanding who is involved in the transaction and to know who you are sending money to, Browne said. 

Under no circumstances should anyone send money to someone they do not know, Browne said. Report any suspected scams to the Danbury Police Department at 203-797-4611.

 

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