Police: Local ‘Phone Donation’ Scam Uses Samples of Lieutenant’s Voice to Dupe Victims
A retired Torrington Police detective and public information officer, Lieutenant Michael Emanuel, is at the center of a donations scam. He’s also a victim. According to Newslocker, an area code 860 number has called many of his personal phone contacts, and others using a replication of his voice, asking for donations for a Torrington Police fundraiser. So far people from Bridgeport, Bristol, Torrington, Waterbury, Winsted and Sharon have already received one these calls.
Because Lieutenant Emanuel was the department’s information officer many recordings from radio and TV exist with samples of his voice and somehow it seems the scammers have created a pre-recorded message that sounds as though it’s him calling. There’s also indication that his cell phone contacts have been hacked, hence calls were place to people who are familiar with his voice in addition to complete strangers.
Once Lieutenant Emanuel got wind of this, he notified the police department. The Torrington Police issued a 'donation scam' warning. According to NBC Connecticut --officials say if you feel you’ve gotten one of these calls immediately contact your local police department. The Torrington Police Department mentioned that they only do one fundraiser a year, and they're not currently doing one.
It's further proof there's something new to watch out for everyday.