Stamford Police Warn Of 'Active And Dangerous' Fraud Scam

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Police Department is sounding the alarm on what it calls "an active and dangerous" fraud scam in which scammers are posing as federal agents or the Federal Trade Commission.

Scammers typically begin by claiming a victim’s identity has been compromised or that a bank account has been hacked, then apply pressure for immediate action, police said. Victims are instructed to withdraw large amounts of cash, meet the suspect in person or hand over money to a "courier" sent to their home, or purchase gold coins under the false pretense of protecting their funds.

Police noted that no federal agency, law enforcement officer or financial institution will ever ask residents to withdraw cash, send a courier to a home, request gold, gift cards or cryptocurrency, threaten arrest or demand secrecy.

Residents should hang up immediately if they receive a suspicious call, and should not send money or meet anyone. Contact local police and report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Police provided links to resources explaining this type of scam.