HARTFORD – Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman, Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli, and Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves today warned residents of an ongoing caller ID spoofing scam. Scammers are transmitting false information to a phone’s caller ID to make it look like they are calling from a Connecticut state government agency and then attempting to convince people to turn over sensitive information.
Scammers often present themselves as government agents urgently demanding immediate payment or personal information and threatening repercussions for failure to comply immediately. Government agencies will never issue threatening phone calls to demand immediate payment or personal information.
If you receive a phone call from someone who says they represent a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on the government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request.
“With the frequency and sophistication of scams continuing to increase, it is important for residents to stay vigilant,” Commissioner Gilman said. “Remember that scammers can fool caller ID systems to make it look like they are calling from a government agency. If you have any doubt, hang up and call the number listed on the agency’s official website to verify the inquiry’s legitimacy.”
”Scammers are always trying to stay two steps ahead in order to take advantage of unsuspecting people,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “The best way to avoid or recover from a scam is to brush up on the red flags of a scam, share that information with your friends and family, and, if you become aware of a scam, report it.”
”Scams like these prey on our most vulnerable population; it's up to all of us as a community to take care of each other, and that is why people in the community need to report any suspicious activity,” said Commissioner Barton Reeves.
If you receive suspicious calls, take the following steps to report a scam:
- Report it to the agency being spoofed, using information on an official government website, so they know and can bring awareness to the issue.
- If you’ve lost money to a phone scam or have information about the company or scammer who called you, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- If you didn’t lose money and just want to report a call, use the streamlined reporting form at DoNotCall.gov.
- File a complaint with DCP at ct.gov/DCP.
To find more information about caller ID spoofing and imposter scams, visit the FCC and FTC websites.
