Darien Police Investigate Series Of Identity Thefts

by Greg Canuel  08/06/13

DARIEN, Conn. - Four different residents on Leeds Lane in Darien all reported being victims of the same scam over the last month, according to police reports.

The most recent case was reported on July 31. Leeds Lane residents told police that they had been contacted by PayPal about a "Bill Me Later" account opened in their name. The account had six purchases, totaling $1,200, charged to it. The residents did not have a PayPal account of their own.

The same residents also reported that they had received two packages at their doorstep that had been charged to the fraudulent account. One contained a T-shirt, and the other an iPhone 5. The other four orders have not been located, police say.

Residents on the same street reported similar incidents on July 1, July 20 and July 26, according to police reports. Those three residents also found that a "Bill Me Later" account had been opened in their names. They also received packages. Two residents received clothing and an iPhone, while the third package had two iPhones.

PayPal "Bill Me Later" accounts require a name, address, date of birth and a portion of a Social Security number to open, according to the company's website. Darien Police are unsure how the suspects obtained this information from all four residents, or why the packages were delivered to the victim's homes. The cases are being investigated as identity thefts, police say.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection offers some advice for residents to avoid identity thefts. It includes using strong passwords and anti-spyware protection on computers, keeping track of papers with your personal information on them and shredding documents with personal information once they are no longer needed.

Residents may be able to tell if they have been the victim of identity theft if they notice important pieces of mail missing, such as bills or bank statements. Victims may also get phone calls from collection agencies or credit cards that they did not apply for.

If you think you may be the victim of identity theft, or see any suspicious activity, contact the Darien Police at 203-662-5300.