CT judicial officials alert public to social media legal assistance scam
Officials say a defendant went to the court clerk's office in New Haven Monday to pay a fine. At court, the defendant said he had hired an attorney off of Facebook, who claimed they could "solve court programs." They added that the man paid the woman $700 to resolve his motor vehicle case.
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State judicial officials are warning residents about a new scam impacting residents.
Officials say a defendant went to the court clerk's office in New Haven Monday to pay a fine. At court, the defendant said he had hired an attorney off of Facebook, who claimed they could "solve court programs." They added that the man paid the woman $700 to resolve his motor vehicle case.
Officials say the man only spoke to his "attorney" through WhatsApp and received a PDF indicating that the case was resolved, resulting in a fine.
However, the man learned that his case was not resolved, that no offer had been made and there was no fine due.
Officials say although the PDF appears to have an official letterhead, it is not legitimate.
People are advised to independently verify information if someone offers them legal assistance over social media and relies on WhatsApp to communicate.
People should not engage with any suspicious callers, texts, emails, or unsolicited social media advertisements. People should also not provide personal or financial information to someone they believe is suspicious.
Officials say these types of scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may be difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications. When in doubt, people are asked to be cautious and call the Judicial Branch’s Call Center at 860-756-7800 to verify.
