A 69-year-old Canoe Hill Road woman told police that she received a phone call from a man claiming he was handling a “federal overtax payment issue” from a tax firm “Clear Creek.”
The caller, believed to be a scam artist, told the New Canaan woman that he was calling her in connection with a landscaping company and that her name and number were given as a contact.
Following the July 18 call at about 9:57 a.m., the woman—a victim of attempted fraud in the past, when a scammer claiming to be from a bank in Barcelona contacted her—immediately contacted police.
They’re investigating the fraud attempt.
It’s the latest in a rash of phone scams hitting New Canaanites, including one where a caller claims to be an IRS agent and phones from what appears to be a Washington, D.C.-based 202 area code.
Here are the New Canaan Police Department’s tips to residents who are contacted by individuals seeking personal information:
- Never wire money to unknown persons.
- Never give personal information(dates of birth, social security numbers, computer passwords, etc.) to unknown persons over the telephone.
- Always check information that is provided by the caller to ensure it is accurate and legitimate.
- Contact the family member that is mentioned in the call to confirm whether or not the family member is in need of assistance.
- Avoid lengthy conversations with the unknown caller, hang up and then contact the police.
- Contact our police department at 203-594-3500 and we will assist.
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Police arrested a Lakeview Avenue husband and wife on charges of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct after an argument between them became physical.
At about 5:53 p.m. on July 14, police responded to 186 Lakeview Ave. (Canaan Parish apartments) on a report of the domestic dispute, according to Sgt. Carol Ogrinc of the New Canaan Police Department.
There, police found that the husband, 25, had pushed and grabbed his wife, 19, around her head, and she then bit him, a police report said. No medical attention was required, though he had a bite mark on his arm and she had a cut on her lip and scratches, police said.
They were released after promising to appear July 15 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.
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Police at 10:41 p.m. on July 17 arrested a 44-year-old New Canaan man and charged him with second-degree failure to appear.
The charge stems from his original arrest on April 22 for operating a motor vehicle with his license under suspension, failure to carry a registration and driving with no headlights, Ogrinc said.
He was released on $500 bond and scheduled to appear July 30 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.