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2025 Tax Season Begins: What You Need To Know About Expanded Options, New Tools 2025 Tax Season Begins: What You Need To Know About Expanded Options, New Tools
2025 Tax Season Begins: What You Need To Know About Expanded Options, New Tools Early filers, get ready. The 2025 tax season is here! The IRS will start accepting and processing tax returns on Monday, Jan. 27, the agency said in a news release. IRS Free File also became available on Friday, Jan. 10 to taxpayers who qualify through private-sector partners. With more than 140 million tax returns expected, the IRS urged taxpayers to take advantage of updated online resources and consider using trusted tax preparers to avoid scams. "This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS, and people will see additional tools and features to help them with filing their …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sounding the alarm on a sophisticated new imposter scheme designed to steal your money and personal information.  These scams are becoming increasingly convincing, but learning to spot the red flags can help you stay protected. How the Scam Works Initial Contact: Scammers pose as representatives from well-known companies, such as Amazon or a tech support service. They’ll claim there’s a routine issue, like suspicious charges on your account, a computer virus, or an account breach. Escalation: The scammers lie, saying your name is tied to serious …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn
Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Authorities in Connecticut are warning residents about phone scammers posing as police or special agents, accusing them of a crime, and demanding they pay a fine. Multiple people across the state — and even as far away as Virginia — have reported receiving calls from the Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Office, with someone claiming to be an "investigator" or "special agent." This so-called "agent" says the victim has been named or identified in a human trafficking, prostitution, or another criminal investigation and must pay a fine or face potential jail time. That is not how t…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Say Scam Attempts On Rise After 2 Elderly CT Residents Taken For $10K Each Police Say Scam Attempts On Rise After 2 Elderly CT Residents Taken For $10K Each
Police Say Scam Attempts On Rise After 2 Elderly CT Residents Taken For $10K Each Police are urging residents to remain cautious after a local senior was scammed out of more than $10,000 in a sophisticated fraud scheme.  The scammer posed as a Microsoft representative and convinced the victim to withdraw cash from their bank account and deliver it in a package to an individual who later came to their home. A similar incident occurred in Milford last week, according to police, suggesting this scheme is targeting residents in the area. Authorities are warning the public to stay alert to scams involving supposed computer or software issues, particularly those requesti…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Cryptocurrency Scammers Steal $63K From CT Resident; Here's How To Protect Yourself Cryptocurrency Scammers Steal $63K From CT Resident; Here's How To Protect Yourself
Cryptocurrency Scammers Steal $63K From CT Resident; Here's How To Protect Yourself Police are sounding the alarm after scammers successfully stole tens of thousands of dollars from a Connecticut resident. In New Haven County, a Cheshire resident contacted Connecticut State Police in April 2024 saying they had lost more than $68,000 worth of cryptocurrency in a scam. The victim told investigators they were tricked by a phishing scheme that offered new tokens. Instead, the scammers drained all the cryptocurrency in their digital wallet. Detectives were able to trace the victim’s stolen funds using blockchain analytics and located their wallet, which still had most of the c…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Impersonating CT Police Officers Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Impersonating CT Police Officers
Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Impersonating CT Police Officers Don’t fall for it. Police in Connecticut are warning residents to be on the lookout for scammers who are impersonating law enforcement officers. In Fairfield County, the Greenwich Police Department issued a warning Friday, July 12, that residents have received phone calls from a “Detective Steve McMorris” about purported outstanding summons. The caller claims to be from the Greenwich Police Department of the Old Greenwich Police Department. “This call is a scam and DO NOT reply,” the agency said on Facebook. “The Greenwich Police Department does not have anyone by that name, and the Old …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls
Scam Alert: Police In Fairfield County Warn Of Fake Jury Duty Phone Calls Authorities alerted residents to be on high alert after multiple people got phony calls about attending jury duty. The Fairfield County warning was made on Friday, June 28 by police in the town of Ridgefield. According to the local authorities, several residents had been contacted about attending jury duty by somebody using a phone number with the area code 203. The scammer claimed to be a Sergeant from the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office. Police emphasized that these calls (and sometimes emails) are scams, and that court officers will never ask for information such as a Social Secu…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Scammers Posing As Officers Are Requesting Money For Fines, Westport Police Warn Scammers Posing As Officers Are Requesting Money For Fines, Westport Police Warn
Scammers Posing As Officers Are Requesting Money For Fines, Westport Police Warn Police in Fairfield County are warning residents about scammers calling and identifying themselves as officers and requesting money for fines owed. Just such an incident occurred in Westport on Friday, Feb. 16 when a resident received a voice mail from a person requesting money. According to Capt. David Wolf, of the Westport Police, the caller identified themselves as Wolf and requested that the resident call them back. Upon returning the call, the scammer said the resident had a bench warrant and requested that she pay a $5,000 fine.  "This is a SCAM as this call was not pl…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
$25K Geek Squad Scam: Man Robs CT Resident, Police Say $25K Geek Squad Scam: Man Robs CT Resident, Police Say
$25K Geek Squad Scam: Man Robs CT Resident, Police Say A man from Brooklyn, New York was nabbed after he posed as a member of the Geek Squad in order to scam a Connecticut resident, police said. The Fairfield County incident happened on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in the town of Fairfield. According to the Fairfield Police Department, 27-year-old Bin Sun sent an email to the elderly victim, who was not named, claiming a charge of $525 from the Geek Squad. The victim called the number provided in the email, ready to dispute the charge, and spoke to Sun. Because they thought the call legitimate, the victim provided him with their bank account information …

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Text Alerts About Traffic Cameras, Fines Not Real, Westport Police Say Scam Alert: Text Alerts About Traffic Cameras, Fines Not Real, Westport Police Say
Scam Alert: Text Alerts About Traffic Cameras, Fines Not Real, Westport Police Say A police department in Fairfield County is warning residents that text messages regarding traffic cameras and fines are a scam and not to fall for them. Lt. Eric Woods, of the Westport Police, said that a member of the department received a text on Monday, Feb. 5 saying they owed money for a traffic violation connected to a traffic camera. "The Westport Police Department does not use traffic cameras and we do not solicit payment for any violations in this manner," Woods said. Woods encouraged residents who receive suspicious emails, texts, or phone calls to ignore and delete them.

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Justice Delivered: CT Uber Drivers Lead To Alleged Scammer's Arrest Justice Delivered: CT Uber Drivers Lead To Alleged Scammer's Arrest
Justice Delivered: CT Uber Drivers Lead To Alleged Scammer's Arrest Two Uber drivers swapped out a side of fries with a side of justice when they helped Connecticut police track down a fraudster who scammed over $12,000 from an elderly couple. On Wednesday, Aug. 3, Connecticut State Police announced the arrest of Jose Perezclark, a 39-year-old man from the Bronx, on charges of grand larceny, months after his alleged scam. The incident occurred on the morning of Jan. 18, 2023.  An elderly couple in Preston received multiple phone calls that morning from people who claimed to be named “Sarah” and “Bill,” saying they were from the Bridgeport Superior Co…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace'
Suspect At Large After Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' A suspect is at large after allegedly scamming a  woman out of money in an email scam pretending he was someone from her workplace in Connecticut. In Fairfield County, the incident took place on Wednesday, March 15 when Darien Police met with the victim of the larceny involving an email scam. The victim reported that earlier in the day she received an email from a familiar name at her workplace. The email requested that she purchase gift cards related to her work function, Darien PD Sgt. Dan Skoumbros said. The email explained to the victim that pictures of the gift cards wi…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
CT State Police Squad Recovers $20K In Cryptocurrency Scam CT State Police Squad Recovers $20K In Cryptocurrency Scam
CT State Police Squad Recovers $20K In Cryptocurrency Scam Last year, the Connecticut State Police Organized Crime Task Force was able to retrieve $20,000 from a $41,150 cryptocurrency or Bitcoin scam. The task force learned of a complaint from a New Haven County resident in Milford in September 2022 regarding larceny by false pretenses, the state police said. The larceny resulted in the loss of $41,150 when the victim was scammed into depositing the money into a series of Bitcoin ATM machines, state police added. The incident was also reported to the Milford Police Department, and it was determined that the task force would assume the investigati…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Cybersecurity experts have reported an increase in phishing scam text messages, according to a new report from CNET. Josh Yavor, the chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Tessian, told the news outlet he has seen a recent increase in scammers using text messages for phishing, where they attempt to steal peoples' personal information by pretending to be reputable organizations. CNET also said a report from enterprise security company Proofpoint found that incidents SMS phishing increased by 24 percent in the United States last year. The Federal Trade Commission reporte…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Authorities Issue Alert About Scam Messages Using Names Of CT Fire Departments Authorities Issue Alert About Scam Messages Using Names Of CT Fire Departments
Authorities Issue Alert About Scam Messages Using Names Of CT Fire Departments Authorities have issued alerts about individuals receiving scam text messages that include the names of Connecticut fire departments. The City of Hartford Fire Department reported on Sunday, April 17, that multiple members of the fire department and followers of the page have received a text about the sale of t-shirts for Hartford Fire or other fire departments. Authorities provided a photo of one of the text messages. "If you receive a message do not click or attempt to purchase anything, the link is likely a scam," the department said. The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department in New London…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region
Police Issue Alert For Spoofing Scam In Region Don’t fall for it. Law enforcement agencies in the region are cautioning area residents to be aware of a scam involving individuals who have been spoofing police department numbers and demanding cash. In Hartford County, the Enfield Police Department issued an alert following multiple instances of fraudsters spoofing their number in an attempt to rob unaware area residents. “Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source,” department officials said. “If you ever doubt the legitimacy of someone identifying themselves as (poli…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say
Duo Nabbed For Attempting To Scam Nearly $10K From Westchester Woman, Police Say Two Connecticut men are facing larceny charges for their alleged attempt to scam a Westchester County woman out of thousands of dollars. Kylo Simons and Rayshawn McFarlane, both of Hartford, were each charged with third-degree larceny, according to the Irvington Police Department. The 77-year-old Irvington woman was contacted by an individual who identified herself as the attorney for the woman's grandson, police said.  The caller reportedly said she had the ability to facilitate a bail transaction of $9,800 for the fake arrest. The victim was then contacted by the same cal…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Scammer Warns Residents In Fairfield County 'Family Members Would Be Harmed,' Police Say Scammer Warns Residents In Fairfield County 'Family Members Would Be Harmed,' Police Say
Scammer Warns Residents In Fairfield County 'Family Members Would Be Harmed,' Police Say Residents in one Fairfield County town have been receiving threatening text messages demanding money. On Thursday, Nov. 11, New Canaan residents reported receiving unsolicited text messages from 203-571-3124, said New Canaan Chief of Police Leon Krolikowski. The scammer demanded payment or the residents’ family members would be harmed. "These messages are scams and are a part of a national trend," Krolikowski said.  The chief said residents should: Never give personal information to unknown persons over the telephone or electronically. Be suspicious of unsolicited telephone calls, …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Alarm bells are sounding for law enforcement agencies as a new Social Security scam continues making the rounds as opportunistic fraudsters look to exploit the elderly. An alert was issued by police agencies in New York after they received multiple reports of scammers impersonating Social Security Administration (SSA) employees over the phone requesting personal information or money. Police said that some of the imposters have made threats or demanded immediate payment to help their victims avoid arrest or potential legal action. Officials noted that SSA employees will never threaten anyon…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Fairfield County Woman Scammed Out Of $30,000, Police Say Fairfield County Woman Scammed Out Of $30,000, Police Say
Fairfield County Woman Scammed Out Of $30,000, Police Say A persistent fraudster worked around the clock to scheme and defraud a Fairfield County woman out of $30,000, police said. The Darien Police Department received a complaint on Saturday, Oct. 2 from a Goodwives River Road resident who said that she had been bilked out of $30,000 by a scammer who persistently called her to make several illegal money transfers. The woman said that the unknown man sent her a text message claiming to be from JP Morgan Bank last week to alert her that there was fraudulent activity on her account. Police said that the scammer then followed up with a phone call cl…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams Opportunistic fraudsters have taken advantage of some consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time targeting child tax credit payments that have been sent out to assist families. The IRS recently issued an alert after it began sending tens of millions of dollars to families, though scammers have been attempting to pull a fast one over on some to steal thousands of dollars in federal benefits. According to the IRS, scammers have been reaching out to families using emails, text messages, and through social media, asking to verify personal information to receive the child tax credit payme…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers Local law enforcement agencies are cautioning area residents to be wary following recent reports of opportunistic fraudsters posing as Amazon employees over the phone to gain access to personal information. Officials said that con artists have been posing as Amazon employees claiming to need verification about their account or that something is wrong with an order, allowing them to attempt stealing their victims’ identities. According to police, once a call is answered, a recorded message will claim to be from Amazon stating there is a problem with their account. Messages included claims …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards COVID-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards
Covid-19: FBI Investigating Reports Of Fake Vaccination Cards The FBI has launched a probe into the discovery of phony COVID-19 vaccination cards that are being sold by fraudsters online and through social media, threatening the progress America has. been making in combating the virus. FBI investigators and other federal officials are looking into the fake COVID-19 cards that are supposed to be administered by healthcare providers before one receives a first dose of the vaccine, but have instead been making the rounds online. Officials said that since there’s no way to authenticate vaccination cards, it's even easier for scammers to create their own, …

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by Zak Failla
News
Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online
Police Issue Warning For 'Virus Alert' Scam For Those Online While all eyes are on COVID-19, a different type of “virus scam” has been making the rounds. Law enforcement officials issued a warning of a new scam involving hackers who attempt to dupe people on the Internet who are browsing the web. According to police, those who have been victimized unexpectedly got a “virus alert” on their desktop designed to look as if it came from Microsoft that took over the entire browser page. The victim then called “Microsoft” at the 800-641-7676 number provided on the browser window, at which point the scammer said that the user probably had a virus and would …

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by Zak Failla
News
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Con artists are calling and emailing Amazon users and attempting to obtain their log in information and credit card number by posing as Amazon employees.  According to the Better Business Bureau, victims are met with a recorded message claiming to be from Amazon, notifying them of problems with their Amazon account ranging from supposed fraudulent charges on Amazon Prime cards to damaged packages to unfulfilled orders that the victim never placed.  The callers are reportedly using phone numbers of reputable organizations--like the Better Business Bureau--to lend them credibility. …

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by Christina Coulter
Police & Fire
'Killer' Scam Reaches Connecticut; Police Advise Potential Victims 'Killer' Scam Reaches Connecticut; Police Advise Potential Victims
'Killer' Scam Reaches Connecticut; Police Advise Potential Victims The person texting certainly seemed to know the victim - and the threat to kill him and his family appeared to be real. But it was all a hoax. North Haven Police are warning people about a vicious scam. The Police recently took a complaint from a person who had been contacted by an unknown person who claimed to be a member of a drug cartel. The scammer went on to note personal information about the victim - telephone number, address, date of birth, etc. - before asking for money, police said. If the money was not delivered, the scammers said, then the victim and his family would be killed.…

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by Kristin Palpini