Charitable Resident Scammed Out Of $1K: Hamden Police

HAMDEN, CT — A Hamden resident was scammed out of more than $1,000 after contributing to what they thought was a charity event for a friend in need, according to police.

Police warned residents of the email scam in a post on Facebook.

“Someone received an email they believed was from a close friend, since it came using their first and last name,” police wrote in the post. “It was requesting that they help out with a charity event for Smilow Cancer Hospital. This wonderful person with a big heart, contributed over $1,000 to what they believed was going to a great cause. Turned out it was a scam. Please be very cautious of emails or phone calls. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. One of the best ways to detect fraud in an email is grammatical errors, usually many. Best to call the person that sent it to you directly and confirm. Be on the lookout for this scam.”