SUSPICIOUS PHONE CALLS

On August 13, 2013, a Darien resident received a call from a male who identified himself as an employee of Dish Network. The caller advised the resident that if their contract was renewed, the resident would receive a free receiver, free channels and an I-Pad. The resident was instructed to go to Wal-Mart and purchase a Green Dot gift card for $270. The resident purchased the gift and provided the caller with the card and PIN number. The following day, another call was received by the resident with the same deal. The caller hung up after being questioned about the free merchandise call the day prior.

This type of scam relies on the victim wishing to obtain free merchandise. Green Dot gift cards are a common way scammers get immediate money. After purchasing a gift card, the scammer will call the victim and obtain the card number and PIN. With this information the scammer can immediately transfer the balance off of the victims card and the money is untraceable.

On August 17, 2013, a Darien resident received a call from an unknown male who identified himself as employee from Windows (Microsoft) and asked the resident if they were experiencing computer issues. The resident did report some issues and the caller then asked the resident to turn on her computer. The resident did not comply with the request. The resident later spoke with two neighbors and learned they received similar suspicious calls.

These unsolicited calls are designed to gain trust of the residents. If the resident had complied with the request, the caller would then remotely access the computer and access all files including credit card numbers, bank account information, stored passwords, and other personal information. This is a common phishing scam with identity theft.

The Darien Police wish to remind residents to be cautious for any unsolicited phone calls, e-mails, or people showing up at their residence unannounced. Do not allow access to your residence by anyone you had not personally made contact with. Do not respond to e-mails asking you to confirm user names and passwords.

If you suspect you have provided personal information:

• Contact your local financial institutions and credit card companies.
• A report should be filed with your local police department.
• You can contact the three credit reporting bureaus to report fraudulent activity.
• You can request a free copy of your credit report through annualcreditreport.com.

Contact:               Police Chief Ernest Brown

                                   630-353-8351

                              ebrown@darienil.gov

8/21/2013