MONROE, Conn. — Monroe police officers collected toy donations outside Awesome Toys & Gifts Saturday, which will be delivered to the children of families served by The Center for Family Justice, a nonprofit offering free and confidential services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
The collection drive will continue on Saturday, Dec. 6, with officers’ annual Stuff the Gazebo toy drive on the town green at 7 Fan Hill Road. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., just before the Monroe Women’s Club’s Tree Lighting.
A stolen Infiniti QX55
A Teller Road man told police his black 2024 Infiniti QX55 was stolen from his driveway sometime overnight, according to a complaint filed Friday.
Police said the car was left unlocked with the keys inside, along with the victim’s wallet, which contained his driver’s license and credit cards.
Officers advised him to cancel/freeze all his debit and credit cards and to monitor his accounts for fraudulent activity.
The theft is being investigated by the Monroe Police Detective Division.
Monroe woman loses $2,000
A Monroe woman was scammed out of $2,000, while trying to sell dresses online, according to a complaint made Sunday.
She had listed the dresses on Facebook Marketplace with a total asking price of $300 and a person named “Yvonne” inquired about the listing.
When the buyer asked if the seller was willing to accept Venmo. The seller agreed, but said she needed to create an account first.
The buyer sent the Monroe woman a $75 payment, then asked for her email address. After providing it, the Monroe woman received an email saying her Venmo account was frozen and she needed to call a phone number to resolve the issue.
She called the phone number and spoke to someone claiming to be an employee from Venmo. To resolve the issue, she was told to buy $2,000 worth of Apple Pay cards.
Police said she was skeptical, so the caller sent her a photo of his New York state driver’s license and work ID. The Monroe woman purchased the cards and sent him a picture of the backs of the cards, which show the serial numbers needed to redeem the funds.
When the caller attempted to obtain more funds from the seller, police said she became concerned and called Venmo Corporate. They told her she was the victim of a scam and that they only request payment via a bank account.
Prevent thefts of holiday packages
A Moose Hill Road woman told police someone stole a package from her porch last Thursday, though she did not wish to file a formal complaint. Police remind residents to take extra precautions for deliveries, especially around the holiday season.
Police Lt. Kevin McKellick recommends signing for deliveries whenever possible and, when you are notified that a package has been delivered, retrieve it as soon as possible, rather than leaving it outside longer.
“You can ask a neighbor to take it in for you,” he said, “and if you know something is missing, report it right away.”
The general phone number for the Monroe Police Department is 203-261-3622.
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