FAIRFIELD — Chief Robert Kalamaras and the Fairfield Police Department would like to inform community members of a Bitcoin scam circulating around Fairfield and share tips to help residents avoid falling victim to any similar scams.
On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the Fairfield Police Department received a report from a resident stating that she had sent $7,000 in Bitcoin currency to an unknown account prior to realizing it was a scam.
The resident stated that she had received a call from an unknown male claiming to work for the fraud department of an online retailer. He stated that fraud was detected on her account and informed her that she would have to transfer her money to a Bitcoin account. 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 number used by the individual claiming to be an officer spoofed the Fairfield Police Department’s number and had a Fairfield Police caller ID.
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. 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…
