Elderly New Milford Residents Targeted By Fraudsters: PD

NEW MILFORD, CT — Scammers have tricked local elderly residents into giving them substantial amounts of money, according to police.

Police announced on Facebook Tuesday that they are investigating three recent incidents.

Police released some details of the cases to help other residents avoid being victimized.

In one case, a scammer posing as a representative of McAfee contacted a resident regarding an expired antivirus software license. The victim was manipulated into sending money through cash withdrawals and third-party vendors, including Coinbase, police said.

In another case, a victim received a computer pop-up telling him to contact the Microsoft support line. This led to a phone call with a person posing as a Wells Fargo bank representative. The imposter conned the victim into giving a large amount of cash to someone who came to the victim’s residence, according to police.

In the third case, a resident seeking companionship met someone online who posed as a contractor on an overseas construction project. The scammer convinced the resident to transfer substantial amounts of money, including purchasing Bitcoin and wiring funds to accounts controlled by the scammer, police said.

Police did not specify exactly how much money the victims lost in the scams.

According to police, residents should remember that legitimate companies will rarely contact anyone about expiring licenses or to request remote access to their computer.

Never give out personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know and trust. Be suspicious of any requests for payment through cryptocurrency or gift cards, police said.

If you get a suspicious email or phone call, don’t respond or speak to the individual. Instead, police recommend contacting the company directly using its official website or phone number.

Police said residents may call or visit them to speak with an officer for advice. If you believe you have been scammed, contact police immediately.