New Canaan Police Warn Residents Of New Cyber Scam

NEW CANAAN, CT — Police advise residents to be aware of a new cyber scam involving people impersonating police officers over the phone.

In a Facebook post, police said a scammer posing as a police officer will call a resident and claim the resident's bank account may have been involved in financial fraud.

The resident is then asked to download a mobile app to help them investigate further.

"If you download the app, the cybercriminal walks you through the steps to set this scam in motion," police said on Facebook.

According to police, the resident is first given a case number. When the resident searches for that number in the app, they will find legal-looking documents with their name on them that "make the scam feel more legitimate."

Once the resident's guard is down, the app asks them to select their bank from a list and enter their account number and other personal information.

"When you first install the app, it blocks all incoming calls and text messages," police said. "That way, you won't be alerted if your bank attempts to contact you about unusual behavior on your account. The cybercriminals will steal your money and sensitive information before you know what happened."

Police emphasized that any law enforcement agency will not call a resident with any request for information regarding fraudulent bank activity.

More information is available here.