Fairfield Cops Thank Scam Stoppers

Rose Mauro was frantic the morning of March 21. She received a call from someone who she thought was her grandson, saying he was in trouble. He needed her to wire bail money to Mexico City, so he could get out of a Canadian jail. Mauro rushed to help her grandson, but ran into a block when she reached Nadia Guarino at Fairfield’s Stop & Shop.

Guarino thought the story sounded odd, and told Mauro she would not complete the transfer unless she called her grandson. Mauro obliged, and discovered the truth — her grandson was safe and sound, asleep in his bed. Guarino helped Mauro avoid losing $2,000.

“I would have gone crazy,” Mauro said. “Not for the money, money is nothing. But for the stupidity.”

The Fairfield Police Department honored Guarino and two other Stop & Shop employees Tuesday afternoon for helping to stop “grandmother scams” before victims could wire away their money. In these cases, criminals call random numbers, claiming to be family members. Police Chief Gary MacNamera said that when victims fall for “the bait,” it’s usually impossible to recover any money.

But in the same week in March, Stop & Shop’s customer service associates stopped two Fairfield women from losing their money. Just days after Guarino helped Mauro, Kim Renzulli and Danielle Capozziello prevented another Fairfield grandmother from falling victim to the same scam.

“It happens too much,” Renzulli said. “I wish more people would stop it. I was just doing my job.”

The Fairfield Police Department awarded Guarino and Renzulli with plaques thanking them for their help. Capozziello was not able to attend the ceremony. MacNamera said the department would continue working with senior citizens and clerks who handle money transfers to make sure more people follow Guarino, Renzulli and Capozziello’s example.

“Every day in this country and elsewhere, scammers cast their nets looking for victims to take the bait,” MacNamera said. “They prey on their victims’ emotions of fear, hope, obligations and confusion.”

Have you ever had a close call with a scammer? Tell us about it in the comments and help warn your neighbors.

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