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Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now
Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now That email claiming to be from Amazon about a mysterious order or urgent account issue? It could be a scammer’s trap waiting for you to click. Amazon users are being warned about a fresh wave of sophisticated scams hitting inboxes.  Fraudsters are sending emails and texts that look like they're from Amazon, often claiming something’s wrong with your account or a suspicious purchase has been made.  The messages urge you to click a link or call a customer service numbe, leading you straight into a scam. According to online security firm ExpressVPN, these phishing emails are design…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do
Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Scams targeting older Americans are surging, causing victims to lose millions of dollars to scammers posing as government officials or trusted companies. The number of victims age 60 and older who lost more than $100,000 has increased by more than 700%, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday, Aug. 7. Those high-value thefts jumped from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024. Older adults who lost at least $10,000 also dramatically rose by more than 300%. "While younger consumers also have reported these scams, older adults were much more likely to report these ex…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise
Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise Norwalk police are asking the public to be aware of a new scam involving a fake officer.  Police said they've received multiple reports of someone impersonating a Norwalk police officer, calling and demanding the victim pay a fine for a missed court date or face imprisonment.  The caller is using the name Jason Wilson.  He is not an officer, and police would never call to solicit money for missed court appearances over the phone.  Do not engage with the caller and call the actual police if you receive this call at 203-854-3113. Scam calls are on the rise across the co…

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by Josh Lanier
News
CT Funeral Home Owner Launches Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K Funeral Scam CT Funeral Home Owner Launches Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K Funeral Scam
CT Funeral Home Owner Launches Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K Funeral Scam A group is working to help victims of an alleged Connecticut funeral scam involving a former funeral home owner accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from funds meant for burials and other services, to allegedly fuel his gambling habit. Philip Pietras, 51, of Coventry, was arrested Sunday, April 6, and charged with first-degree larceny, according to Connecticut State Police. Dozens of people had given Pietras money intended for escrow accounts, which would have been available to cover funeral costs when needed, police said. They later learned the money was never deposited, and now they mu…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns
Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns Scammers are once again turning hot-button headlines into bait — this time with bogus offers of “tariff relief” payments showing up in Facebook and Instagram ads. The fraudulent posts have promised $750 in “tariff relief credit” or as much as $5,600 in “tariff relief benefits.”  But the promised payouts don’t exist. Instead, these ads are believed to be attempts to gather personal information or steer unsuspecting users into marketing calls where they could be targeted by spammers. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, confirmed that it removed the ads after being alerte…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS
Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS A new scam is targeting people with fraudulent text messages pretending to be from the United States Postal Service (USPS) — and officials are urging caution. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is warning customers about a rise in phishing and smishing attacks, where fraudsters send fake texts and emails that appear to come from USPS. The messages often claim that a package is delayed or that a payment is due, directing recipients to click a link that steals personal information. Postal inspectors say these scams are becoming more advanced, but there are clear warning signs: Smishi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an urgent warning about a widespread text message scam designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. Known as “smishing” (SMS phishing), the scam involves fraudulent texts impersonating toll and package delivery services to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data. According to cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, cybercriminals have registered over 10,000 fraudulent domains as part of this operation, targeting at least 11 states and one Canadian province. Key…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams As the holiday shopping season begins, the IRS reminds everyone that it’s not just your credit card balance you need to watch — it’s also your personal information. As part of its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a rise in holiday scams.  The scammers aren’t interested in gifts under your tree; they’re after your Social Security number and financial information instead. Here’s how scammers are getting creative—and how you can stay safe: Phishing Emails: Be wary of emails pretending to be from reputable retailers, shipping companie…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know
Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know New reports reveal that scammers are trying to trick Google into showing their fake numbers pretending to offer reputable services, and many are getting away with it. Google sometimes highlights impostors during searches for airlines, banks, as well as local businesses, according to a brand-new report in The Washington Post. A victim who called what Google listed as Coinbase customer support was scammed out of $100,000 in 20 minutes by an impostor, Fortune reports. Google told The Washington Post that it uses several methods to determine whether business listings are legitimate, inclu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Driveway Paving Scams On Rise Don't Fall For It: Driveway Paving Scams On Rise
Don't Fall For It: Driveway Paving Scams On Rise Police are warning of an uptick in scammers hoping to take advantage of the warmer spring weather. Each year, agencies across the country see an increase in complaints about fraudsters who bait homeowners with driveway paving services, according to the North Greenbush Police Department in New York. “As the trees sprout leaf buds and the daffodils peek out of their underground hiding, so must the scam artists offering to pave or sealcoat your driveway for the low low price of only five times what it would cost for a legitimate business to do it,” the agency said on Facebook. “And they must b…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Customers Beware: Eversource Warns Of Uptick In Scammers Targeting CT Residents Customers Beware: Eversource Warns Of Uptick In Scammers Targeting CT Residents
Customers Beware: Eversource Warns Of Uptick In Scammers Targeting CT Residents Connecticut’s top energy provider is warning residents to protect themselves against scammers. Eversource says now is the time of year when the company typically sees an uptick in scams seeking to swindle customers out of their money. “Scam artists use sophisticated and intimidating tactics and can be hard to detect,” the company said. “Inform yourself about the tactics used and protect your information.” One of the most common schemes involves phone calls impersonating Eversource employees and demanding immediate payment in order to prevent electric service from being shut off. The compa…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Alert Westport Bank Employee Foils Kidnapping Scam, Police Say Alert Westport Bank Employee Foils Kidnapping Scam, Police Say
Alert Westport Bank Employee Foils Kidnapping Scam, Police Say A woman who received a call demanding money saying her daughter was being held hostage was saved from falling for the scam by an alert bank teller in Fairfield County. The incident took place in Westport on Thursday, March 23 at the M&T Bank, said Lt. Eric Woods of the. Westport Police. Woods said the bank called for help after a customer reported she received a call from a man saying he and the victim’s daughter had been in a motor vehicle accident and the daughter was being held as a hostage. He then demanded she withdraw as much money as she could in exchange for the safe r…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For Them: Police In Connecticut Issue Alert About These Scams Don't Fall For Them: Police In Connecticut Issue Alert About These Scams
Don't Fall For Them: Police In Connecticut Issue Alert About These Scams Connecticut State Police issued an alert to residents about common cryptocurrency scams. Police shared the alert on Tuesday, Aug. 30, saying scammers often use texts, phone calls, or emails to lure victims to cryptocurrency ATMs, web-based investment sites or exchange platforms to get them to convert dollars into cryptocurrency. "A victim is often led to believe that their bank account or investments are under attack," police said. "The victim is then prompted to convert those assets to cryptocurrency and send them to a 'secure' account, which is controlled by the scammer." Police said sca…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams
Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams Police are warning the public about a new increase in scams that are "difficult to investigate." The scams, which take place all over the country, have also been reported region. "Even though the police may be made aware of these types of cases, they can be difficult to investigate because many times the suspects are in another country or quickly leave the scene where very little suspect information is available," the Trumbull Police Department in Fairfield County, Connecticut, said. Here's a list of the types of scams: The caller claimed to be a family member that has an illness or was …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Northampton Police Warn Of Email Scam Northampton Police Warn Of Email Scam
Northampton Police Warn Of Email Scam An alert has been issued by law enforcement agencies in Western Massachusetts regarding a cryptocurrency scam that has been making the rounds in the region. In Hampshire County, police in Northampton issued a notice to the community advising of a scam involving currency accounts that have been hacked by fraudsters. According to the Northampton Police Department, users have been instructed to be cautious if they receive any emails saying that an account was compromised which include potentially harmful links. Police did not note if any cryptocurrency accounts have been compromised. “Do not…

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by Zak Failla