NEW HAVEN—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ask the agency to immediately alert the public about a telephone scam occurring in Connecticut and around the United States. Murphy urged the FBI to publish the details of this fraud using the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) network so that state and local authorities can be on the lookout. 

“People should be immediately alerted of these malicious telephone scams,” Murphy said. “Callers from Connecticut describe a phone call they received where the perpetrator claims that a family member of the intended victim has been involved in an accident and is being held hostage until the caller receives money. Working families, immigrant communities and senior citizens appear to be the targets of this insidious activity, and our state’s law enforcement could use any help that the FBI can offer to help ensure that no more Connecticut residents fall victim to this scam.”  

Full text of Murphy’s letter:

February 28, 2014

The Honorable James B. Comey, Jr.

Director

Federal Bureau of Investigation

935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20535

Dear Director Comey,

I am writing to request your agency use the tools at your disposal to alert the public about an ongoing telephone scam that is occurring in Connecticut and possibly elsewhere. 

Current media reports and reports from citizens in Connecticut who have contacted my office describe a telephone call they received where the perpetrator claims that a family member of the intended victim has been involved in an accident and is being held hostage until the caller receives money. 

Several Connecticut residents have fallen victim to this fraud, even though local police have been active in trying to protect the community from this type of crime.  In one instance, local police have alerted providers of money wiring services, like Western Union, to be on the lookout for this type of suspicious situation.  As reports of this telephone scam continue to come in from all over the state of Connecticut, I am requesting that your agency devote appropriate resources to helping Connecticut’s local law enforcement agencies alert their communities about this criminal activity and locate the perpetrators.

Specifically, as a first step, I ask that you publish the details of this fraud using the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) network so that state and local entities in Connecticut and around the country can be on the lookout. 

Connecticut’s working families, immigrant communities and senior citizens appear to be the targets of this insidious activity, and our state’s law enforcement could use any help that you might be able to provide in seeing that no more Connecticut residents are tricked out of their hard-earned money.  

Sincerely,

Christopher S. Murphy

United States Senator

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