Fairfield Police Recover $12,000 Stolen From Elderly Resident In Phone Scam

Investigators intercepted a cash delivery after fraudsters posed as relatives and legal officials, according to authorities.

By Alfred Branch, Patch Staff

Oct 30, 2026 4:19 PM EDT

Fairfield police recently recovered $12,000 stolen from an elderly resident in a telephone scam. (Alfred Branch/Patch)

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield police recovered $12,000 stolen from an elderly resident in a telephone scam on Oct. 27, authorities said.

According to police, the resident received a call from someone posing as his son-in-law, who claimed he had been arrested following a car accident and needed bail money.

Additional callers, pretending to be an attorney and a court representative, instructed the resident to withdraw $12,000 in cash and arrange for someone to pick it up at his home.

After handing over the money, the resident learned that his son-in-law had not been arrested and immediately contacted police.

Although the resident was able to provide only a partial license plate number, investigators used automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle involved in the pickup.

Police contacted the driver, who had been hired through a rideshare service to transport the package. According to authorities, the driver was about two minutes away from delivering the money to the scammers when officers reached him.

Investigators recovered the full $12,000.

The Fairfield Police Department said officers from the New York Police Department's 34th Precinct assisted in the investigation.

Police said several similar scams have been reported or attempted in Fairfield over the past month. Authorities noted that recovering money lost through financial scams is uncommon.

The department urged residents to be cautious of callers who create a sense of urgency or fear to pressure people into sending money.

Residents who receive calls claiming that a family member has been arrested and needs bail money should hang up and independently verify the information before taking action, police said.

Authorities also emphasized that police departments do not send drivers to collect bail money or demand payment over the telephone to prevent an arrest.

Police encouraged residents to discuss these scams with relatives, friends and neighbors, particularly older adults who may be targeted.