Consumer and Finances

Concerned About Porch Pirates Pilfering Packages from Your Place? Police Provide These Pointers

By |
Download PDF

Darien police recently asked the public if they can identify a man caught on camera this past weekend and suspected of stealing a package left in front of a home on Hollow Tree Ridge Road. The problem of “porch pilfering” is longstanding, goes well beyond Darien and could always get worse as the convenient practice of ordering items online and getting home deliveries increases. Here’s some advice. Greenwich Police Department posted these tips on preventing porch piracy Wednesday on Facebook: (with information we’ve added on two places we know of in Darien, besides the Post Office, that will hold packages for you):

Porch pirates are thieves who drive through residential neighborhoods checking front porches for packages that have been delivered but not yet retrieved by their rightful owners. There are several things you can do to prevent it from happening to you:

1 – If possible, have your packages delivered to your workplace instead of your home.

Public Safety
Federal Trade Commission Seal logo

Two Identity Theft Tricks You Should Know: Spear Phishing and Caller I.D. Spoofing

By |
Download PDF

“I’m calling from [pick any bank]. Someone’s been using your debit card ending in 2345 at [pick any retailer]. I’ll need to verify your Social Security number — which ends in 8190, right? — and full debit card information so we can stop this unauthorized activity…”

So the caller ID shows the name of your bank. And the caller knows some of your personal details.

Public Safety
Federal Trade Commission Seal logo

‘Credit Freeze’ Tool to Protect Yourself Against Identity Thieves Is Now Free

By |
Download PDF

Two tools you can use to make identity theft less likely have just become available for free today (Friday), Sept. 21, thanks to a new federal law: credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts. Here’s what you should know:

Security freezes, also known as credit freezes, restrict access to your credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Starting today, you can freeze and unfreeze your credit file for free. You also can get a free freeze for your children who are under 16.

Public Safety
Police Shoulder

Darien Victim of IRS Phone Scam Loses $5,800 After Being Told to Pay With Apple Gift Cards

By |
Download PDF

A 45-year-old Darien resident of Hollow Tree Ridge Road got the call that scammed her out of thousands of dollars last Friday morning. A male identifying himself as a collector for the IRS told her she owed back taxes to the federal government, and if she didn’t pay up by noon her husband would be subject to arrest. She withdrew $5,800 from her bank. She was then directed to go to an Apple store and buy Apple gift cards, which she did. Police didn’t say, but usually in these scams, the person on the other end of the line tells the victim not to hang up the phone while getting the money and then arranging to have it sent somehow.

Public Safety
Gift Cards Jan Mayen Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D%C3%A1rkov%C3%A9_karty.jpg

Here’s One Easy-to-Remember Red Flag That You Might Be Getting Scammed

By |
Download PDF

Has someone asked you to go get a gift card to pay for something? Lots of people have told the Federal Trade Commission they’ve been asked to pay with gift cards — by a caller claiming to be with the IRS, or tech support, or a so-called family member in need. If you’ve gotten a call like this, you know that the caller will then demand the gift card numbers and PIN. And, poof, your money is gone. Scammers are good at convincing people there really is an emergency, so lots of people have made the trip to the Walmart or Target or CVS to buy gift cards to send these callers.

News
Federal Trade Commission Seal logo

Don’t Get Fooled by the ‘Secret Shopper’ Scam

By |
Download PDF

Scammers need a good story to get to your wallet. Once they find one that works, they use it again and again. One of their old favorites brings together fake checks and secret shopping, and we’ve been hearing a lot about it lately. Here’s how it starts. You get a check in the mail with a job offer as a secret shopper.

Public Safety
Night Police Lights CT State Police on Facebook March 30-17 uploaded 06-20-17

Burglars Use Obituaries in Westchester to See When Homes May Be Empty, Greenwich Police Warn

By |
Download PDF

Greenwich Police are warning residents of a recent trend in Westchester in which thieves use obituaries to see when visiting hours are scheduled in order to target empty homes for burglaries. “Criminals read the newspaper too, to get whatever intelligence they can gather,” said Lt John Slusarz. “Someone passes away, the funeral time is listed. It’s sort of an advertisement that the home will be vacant.”

— This article originally was published by Greenwich Free Press. Slusarz said that in planning a funeral, it is wise to select someone to stay in the home.

Public Safety
Telephone Phone Mobile Phone Smart Phone

Don’t Buy the Scam. ‘Do Not Call’ Registrations NEVER Expire.

By |
Download PDF

Someone pretending to be from the FTC is sending out fake emails telling people that their Do Not Call registration is expiring. The emails use the FTC’s logo and send people to a phony Do Not Call website to register their numbers again. Don’t buy it. Do Not Call registrations never expire. Once you add a number to the Do Not Call Registry, you don’t need to register it again — ever.