New Canaan police say a town resident’s computer files were accessed remotely after he disclosed his password to a male caller urging him to protect the device against security breaches.
The caller is described as “having an Indian accent and as being very aggressive,” according to New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski.
Police are seeing similar fraud attempts throughout the state, the chief said in a written statement.
“In these incidents, an unknown caller will call a resident and tell them that a family member had been in an accident, or was arrested, or that the family member is being held hostage until the resident wires them money through Stop & Shop or Western Union,” Krolikowski said. “The suspect caller has been predominantly described as a Hispanic male or male with an accent.”
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.