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Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras said they learned of the latest scam when a resident alerted the department on Tuesday, Nov. 22 that they had sent $7,000 in Bitcoin currency to an unknown account prior to realizing it was a scam.
The resident told officers she had received a call from an unknown male claiming to work for the fraud department of an online retailer. He told her that fraud was detected on her account and informed her that she would have to transfer her money to a Bitcoin account, Kalamaras said.
The resident was then purportedly "transferred" to the Federal Trade Commission where she spoke to an officer who sent her pictures of their alleged credentials.
The resident received another call from a woman posing as a Fairfield Police officer who advised the resident to do what was asked of her, the chief said.
The number used by the individual claiming to be an officer spoofed the Fairfield Police Department's number and had a Fairfield Police caller ID, police said.
The callers then instructed the resident to send them a photo of her driver's license and empty her bank accounts, alleging they were compromised, they added.
The resident then took money out of her accounts and deposited the money into a Bitcoin ATM at a location given to her by the callers. The resident was also instructed to withdraw $20,000 from her retirement accounts, Kalamaras said.
The resident was able to pause the withdrawal from her retirement accounts and contacted the state Department of Motor Vehicles to change her license number, however, it is unlikely the Bitcoin money that was deposited will ever be recovered, he said.
Bitcoin is a virtual encrypted currency and transactions are anonymous.
The Fairfield Police Department would like to warn residents who may receive any similar calls to not send any money and immediately report the call to the Fairfield Police Department at 203-254-4800.
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