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New credit card fraud in Connecticut!

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If you are not always vigilant, you risk losing your hard-earned money. It’s sad but true, Americans have to deal with more scams every day and Connecticut has a particular target on its back.

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Another classic scam has resurfaced in the Nutmeg State and residents are on high alert. Credit card skimmers were recently discovered by local law enforcement. On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Berlin, Connecticut Police Department made the following statement to the public:

“Skimmer alert! If you have recently visited the Dollar General on Farmington Avenue and paid by card, please monitor your accounts and let us know if you notice any suspicious activity. A card skimmer was discovered at one of the checkout terminals today and it is unknown how long it had been there.”

This is not a Berlin problem. If we have learned anything about these thieves, we know that they constantly move from one community to another to avoid getting caught. Authorities have also recently reported that the criminal underworld is operating in an organized manner and thefts are being coordinated.

How to spot a credit card skimmer

Time says:

Credit card skimmers are physical – often bulky – devices that you should recognize. Some skimmers seem eerily official, be it a simple extension that inserts into the credit card reader or a complicated shell that covers the entire terminal. The easiest way to spot a credit card skimmer is to tug, tug, and tug at it. Before inserting your card into a point-of-sale terminal, wiggle some parts of the machine to see if anything is loose.

The Berlin police adds:

  • Check for alignment issues between the card reader and the underlying bezel
  • Skimmers are often placed on top of the actual card reader, causing it to stick out at an odd angle or obscure arrows in a panel

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify

Are there alternatives to initiating a comprehensive investigation of every device I interact with?

Secret Service agents and FICO representatives told it Cleveland.com say

The safest payment method is to use a tap-to-pay feature, whether it’s built into the credit card or on your phone. According to FICO, Tap-to-Pay hides card data from the ATM or PIN pad and replaces it with a token that is “almost impossible to decrypt.”

Whatever happened to an honest living? This is an extremely troubling time to be alive. It’s a real honor to be a working person and I can’t imagine there are people who don’t get it.

19 of Connecticut’s most wanted fugitives

First, you should know that not every fugitive is some kind of serial killer or bank robber; Some are simply people who have been accused of crimes and are actively evading prosecution.

According to information, these are 19 of the wanted fugitives in Connecticut BailCo Surety Bondswho state the following on their website:

“The individuals listed on this page are currently wanted by BailCo Bail Bonds Manchester LLC and the State of Connecticut for failure to appear at a scheduled court date. We would be grateful if you could receive information about their status or whereabouts, but please remember this first: “No one listed on this page is necessarily guilty of a crime.”

Gallery photo credit: Lou Milano

The 7 Worst Prisons in the State of Connecticut

If I went to prison, I would worry about everything. I would like to know what to expect and there aren’t many resources available. There was no way I would have anyone to ask for their experience. You need to know what level of danger you are exposed to, what your everyday life will be like and what the conditions are. Most importantly, you want to know if the place you are visiting has a bad reputation.

My recent television appearance on “60 Days In” made me want to search for answers to these questions that I needed to know. I was able to find some helpful information from The Connecticut Bail Bonds Group.

Here are the 7 worst prisons in Connecticut

Gallery photo credit: Lou Milano

15 of the most wanted Connecticut bank robbery suspects in the 2020s

Imagine getting a note that said, “Give me all the money.” It sounds like a cheesy saying from a low-budget Hollywood stinker, but for some CT bank tellers, it was a frightening, real one Scenario. These are the 15 most wanted bank robbery suspects in Connecticut in the 2020s.

NOTE: These are photos of suspects and everyone involved is innocent until proven guilty.

Gallery photo credit: Lou Milano

In 1970, two men robbed a bank in Danbury and blew up the police station

We learned the story of the Pardue brothers, their connection to Danbury and what happened in the Hat City in February 1970 from Mike Allen. Every Tuesday Mike visits the Ethan and Lou Show on I-95 for a feature called “The Place You Live” and this week it was a local story like I’d never heard before.

In 1970, John Pardue was a 27-year-old man living in Danbury, his brother James was 23 years old and living in Lusby, MD. Before the story finds its way to Hat City and the brothers rob the Union Savings Bank on Main Street, they had already racked up a string of astonishing crimes.

Before Danbury, they robbed banks in Lewisboro, NY, Georgetown, CT and Union, MO. They also killed their father, their grandmother and two other men who had helped them carry out the Georgetown, CT, robbery and who had played at least a role in the death of an innocent Bridgeport man from whom they had stolen a car. John and James Pardue were hardened criminals before their Danbury bank robbery.

Gallery photo credit: Lou Milano

The Sinful 6: Connecticut’s Most Dangerous Gangs

Your exposure to gangs and gang violence is probably very similar to mine. You see gang stories told on fictional TV shows like Sons of Anarchy or in movies and think, “That’s not my problem.” Not so fast, Nutmeg! According to the CT Department of Justice Gangs are a real problem in the state of Connecticut.

Here are the 6 most dangerous gangs in the Nutmeg State

Gallery photo credit: Lou Milano

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