Suspect Accused Of Scamming Guilford Resident Out Of $36,000: Police

GUILFORD, CT — A 25-year-old Boston, Massachusetts man has been arrested in connection with a scam that Guilford police said defrauded a local resident of $36,000.

Darshan C. Shaha, 25, was taken into custody on March 21 by the Boston Police Fugitive Task Force on a warrant charging him with first-degree larceny and first-degree telephone fraud, according to a post on the Guilford Police Department's Facebook page. He was extradited to Connecticut on Monday is being held in lieu of bail of $500,000; he was scheduled to be arraigned in New Haven Superior Court on Tuesday.

The charges stem from an incident in November 2024, when a Guilford resident reported receiving a fraudulent text message claiming to be from “LifeLock by Norton,” police said. The message falsely warned of an unauthorized overseas wire transfer and prompted the victim to contact a scammer posing as a company representative. The suspect reportedly gained the victim’s trust by confirming recent payment details and advised them to withdraw $36,000 to prevent the alleged transfer from going through.

According to police, the victim was instructed to remain on the phone, not discuss the matter with bank employees, and falsely claim the withdrawal was for a vehicle purchase. The scammer further claimed an "FBI agent" would collect the cash at the victim’s residence to protect them from financial repercussions.

A suspect later arrived at the home, provided a pre-arranged passcode, and collected the money, authorities said. The victim, who took a photo of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate, realized the scam shortly afterward and reported it to police.

Following an investigation involving multiple search warrants, authorities identified Shaha as the individual who collected the funds. His arrest was made with assistance from the Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, the New England State Police Information Network, the Connecticut Intelligence Center, the Department of Homeland Security, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.

Fraud-related losses exceeded $12.5 billion in 2024, a 25 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Law enforcement officials urge the public to remain vigilant against scams and report suspicious activity to authorities.

Although this case resulted in a complete loss of $36,000 for the victim, the Guilford Police Department said that it hopes that by sharing this incident, the information could help prevent others from falling prey to similar schemes. The department offers the following tips to avoid falling for scams:

• Do not respond directly to suspicious texts or emails. Verify contact information through a trusted source before reaching out.
• Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. If you do answer and the caller demands urgency, instructs the victim to be deceitful with loved ones or businesses, or requests payment via gift cards, it is unequivocally a scam—hang up and contact police immediately.
• Depending on the theft's nature and timing, reporting immediately may enable partial or full recovery of lost funds.

Victims of any scams, regardless of monetary loss, should report incidents to their local police, FTC.gov, and IdentityTheft.gov, where a recovery guide is available to assist in safeguarding personal information.

Guilford police remind the public that all arrests are subject to judicial review and determination in a court of law.

"The information presented is based on probable cause and does not constitute a conviction," police said. "We wish to remind the public that harassing or threatening comments are strictly prohibited in this limited public forum. For further clarification, please consult our social media page regulations or contact us directly with any questions."