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Killingworth's Committee on Aging held a two-hour Scam and Fraud Prevention Program on May 3, 2025, where attorney Don Phillips, legal services representative Erica Basoli, and State Trooper Rick Mulhall educated seniors about common fraud schemes including bank/credit card scams, gift card fraud, home repair scams, romance scams, tech support scams, and fake prize offers. The presenters advised seniors to avoid sharing personal information on social media, resist urgency tactics, report all scams to authorities, and verify legitimacy through official channels, while emphasizing that legitimate businesses should be registered, insured, and provide written contracts.

Lance Norman, 36, of Queens, was arrested for operating a Publishers Clearing House scam targeting a Columbia County resident who lost approximately $62,000 in cash across two in-person meetings in Hudson. Norman was located in Westchester County with a large sum of cash in his vehicle and was charged with grand larceny and conspiracy, both felonies. New York State Police urged the public to be cautious of prize or sweepstakes scams demanding upfront payments and to report suspicious financial activity targeting older adults.

A Connecticut woman lost approximately $100,000 in a romance scam involving a man who claimed to be named John Gilbert and said he needed money to escape a dangerous situation while working on a ship in the Gulf of Mexico. The Connecticut Better Business Bureau confirmed this was the highest romance scam loss recorded in the state during 2024, and authorities are investigating the perpetrator while the victim has recovered some funds. Experts advise meeting potential romantic partners in person frequently and avoiding payment methods like prepaid debit cards, cash apps, or peer-to-peer payment services.

"Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" is a Hulu documentary series following three women from Connecticut, Ontario, and Frankfurt who were defrauded by the same anonymous romance scammer using stolen photos and multiple fake identities (Scott Donald Hall, James Richards, Michael Silver). The scammer exploited each woman's emotional vulnerability through social media and private messaging, eventually extracting thousands of dollars under false pretenses, with one victim losing over $30,000 and another compromising her Social Security information. Despite the victims' collaborative investigation, the scammer's true identity remains unknown, illustrating how AI technology and deepfakes enable modern romance fraud, which resulted in $16.6

The Connecticut Department of Vehicles and multiple state police departments warned residents against clicking links in fraudulent text messages falsely claiming to be from the DMV regarding traffic violations or toll fees. The phishing scam attempts to trick recipients into clicking malicious links that could compromise personal data or lead to financial loss, and can be identified by red flags such as strange sender addresses, false urgency, and references to non-existent state codes.

The Connecticut DMV warned residents on June 3, 2025, about a scam involving text messages and phone calls falsely claiming unpaid traffic violations or toll bills and threatening vehicle registration suspension by June 5. The DMV clarified that it does not contact residents via text or phone about outstanding issues and advised recipients to delete such messages without clicking links.

**Summary:** Cybercriminals use "smishing" (SMS phishing) to send deceptive text messages impersonating legitimate organizations like the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, attempting to extract sensitive personal information from recipients. Scammers create fake accounts on text message servers to send mass messages using phone numbers obtained through predictable patterns or internet scraping, and experts advise recipients to avoid clicking on suspicious links in text messages.

A Connecticut family soda business, Hosmer Mountain Bottling Company, lost $100,000 to a Publisher's Clearing House impersonation scam targeting their brother Bill. The scammers convinced Bill he had won $5.5 million and needed to verify employment by writing checks marked "void," which were then altered and cashed by the fraudsters using a fake name. The Willimantic Police Department is investigating the active case, and the family is urging public awareness about this common scam, which the Better Business Bureau identified as the top impersonated scam in 2024.

A Connecticut couple received a $111.50 toll fine from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for travel they never made in their 1966 Mustang, becoming victims of "ghost car fraud"—a scam where criminals steal or duplicate license plates and place them on different vehicles to evade tolls. The couple's appeal was initially denied despite photo evidence showing a modern vehicle (not their classic Mustang) bearing their plates, but the charges were ultimately dismissed after media intervention. This scam is affecting multiple drivers across New York and New Jersey, with victims like Joanne Barbara and Walter Gursky racking up hundreds of dollars in fraudulent tolls and fines.

A Chinese actor named Wang Xing was abducted in Thailand and taken to a scam compound in Myanmar in early 2025, sparking widespread concern about fraud operations in Southeast Asia. The incident highlighted the prevalence of "pig butchering" scams—a type of fraud where criminals build fake romantic or financial relationships with victims to manipulate them into large investments, with victims worldwide losing billions of dollars. These scams, typically run by organized crime groups, operate in three stages (hunting, raising, and killing) and can result in devastating financial losses, as exemplified by cases like a Connecticut woman who lost nearly $1 million and a Kansas banker who embezzled $47 million to cover

"Pig butchering" scams are sophisticated fraud schemes operated by organized crime groups that have stolen billions globally, in which scammers build fake romantic or friendly relationships with victims online before pressuring them into fraudulent investments, typically over a few months rather than years. Notable victims include a Kansas banker who embezzled $47 million to cover his losses and a Connecticut woman who lost nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency investments, with scammers exploiting victims' desire for financial gain rather than solely relying on romantic manipulation. The scams operate in three stages—hunting for victims online, building trust, and executing the "kill" by pushing large financial commitments—and are typically run by highly organized criminal

In early 2025, Chinese actor Wang Xing was abducted after being lured to Thailand under false pretenses and taken to a scam operation in Myanmar, sparking widespread panic about fraud on Chinese social media; Thai police rescued him within three days after he reported being forced into training for "pig butchering" scams. Pig butchering scams, operated by organized crime groups primarily since 2019, involve criminals building trust with victims online before manipulating them into making large fraudulent investments, with victims losing billions globally—including a U.S. banker who embezzled $47 million to cover losses from such a scam, and a Connecticut woman who lost nearly $1

Scammers in Connecticut are spoofing the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce's phone number and impersonating organization representatives to solicit money from residents and businesses. The Chamber warned the public not to share personal information with callers and clarified that the organization does not solicit funds via unsolicited phone calls.

Steven Ware of Yonkers, New York pleaded guilty to bank fraud and identity theft for submitting false IRS tax refund claims under a Connecticut investment executive's identity, obtaining $810,337 in unauthorized refunds through fraudulently opened bank accounts. The article also references a separate elder fraud case in which scammers collected over $200,000 from elderly victims through identity theft and wire fraud. These cases illustrate broader vulnerabilities in identity verification systems and the increasing use of stolen identities to defraud government agencies and vulnerable populations.

A UPS employee in Guilford, Connecticut named Missy prevented a customer from losing $10,000 after identifying red flags in a phishing scam. The victim had received a fraudulent email posing as PayPal claiming unauthorized charges, and when he called the number provided, scammers gained access to his bank accounts and instructed him to wire $10,000 to "correct" a false $45,000 deposit. Missy's alert questioning and call to police stopped the transaction, the money was returned, and she received the Guilford Police Department Citizen Award for her actions.

Two New Jersey brothers, Abhishek and Tushar Barvalia, allegedly defrauded four elderly women (ages 76-90) out of nearly $400,000 between June 2023 and January 2024 by impersonating government agents, bank representatives, and Microsoft/FTC officials and convincing them their accounts were compromised or involved in illegal activity. The victims, located in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and Connecticut, were manipulated into withdrawing cash or sending cashier's checks to accounts controlled by the defendants, with individual losses ranging from $15,000 to $171,680. The brothers face charges of second-degree gran

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a warning to students about job recruitment scams involving fake emails and texts impersonating companies like Tesla and Indeed.com, promising unrealistic pay for minimal work. Scammers attempt to obtain personal information like Social Security numbers, application fees, or trick victims into depositing fake checks and transferring funds. The advisory provides red flags including suspicious sender addresses, foreign country codes, requests for payment, and urgency tactics, along with steps to verify legitimate opportunities through official company contacts and career services offices.

Two New Jersey brothers, Abhishek and Tushar Barvalia, were indicted for allegedly defrauding four elderly women aged 76 to 90 out of approximately $400,000 between June 2023 and January 2024. The defendants impersonated government agents, FBI officials, and bank representatives to convince victims their accounts were compromised, instructing them to withdraw funds and transfer money to accounts the perpetrators controlled. The victims, located in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and Connecticut, were told to keep the transactions confidential, and a total of over $393,000 was stolen through cashier's checks and wire transfers.

Christopher Gibbon, 54, was arrested in Connecticut in August 2025 after nearly six years as a fugitive for his role in a Jamaican lottery scam that operated from December 2016 to July 2018. Gibbon participated in the scheme by receiving payments from victims who were fraudulently told they had won the lottery and needed to pay taxes on their winnings; he collected money from at least four victims, including one North Carolina resident who sent $50,000, and forwarded portions to co-conspirators in Jamaica. He is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, along with additional counts of mail fraud and bank fraud, and will be detained until trial

Jackie Crenshaw, a Connecticut resident, lost nearly $1 million to a cryptocurrency romance scam in which a fraudster built emotional trust to manipulate her into making false investments. She testified before the Connecticut legislature in support of House Bill 6990, which passed and was signed into law, establishing a legal framework for law enforcement to seize virtual currency used in criminal offenses—legislation designed to help recover stolen funds from future victims. Crenshaw's advocacy highlights how romance scams, which exploit emotional connections for financial gain, have become increasingly prevalent, with the FTC estimating true annual fraud losses at $137 billion despite only $9 billion being reported.

**Summary:** A bank employee at Community Resource Federal Credit Union in Colonie, New York prevented a $30,000 elder fraud scam on September 24, 2025, by recognizing that an elderly customer appeared confused while attempting to withdraw cash for a suspicious "construction project" and alerting police. Officers arranged a sting operation posing as the victim, leading to the arrest of two men from Queens—Huifeng Jin and Qinghua Wang—on charges including grand larceny and felony assault. Police credited the bank staff's vigilance with protecting their customer and urged families to discuss scam awareness with elderly relatives, emphasizing the importance of not sharing financial information over the phone.

The Better Business Bureau is warning Connecticut residents about a "relief check" phone scam that has generated over 800 reports nationally in less than two months. Scammers call, text, or leave voicemails claiming victims have an unclaimed relief payment and direct them to fraudulent websites that steal personal and financial information, install malware, or enroll victims in unwanted services. The BBB advises residents to hang up on such calls, never visit caller-provided websites, verify information directly with government agencies using official contact details, and avoid sharing personal or financial information with strangers.