DON'T FALL FOR IT

Several Hartford families have been the victims of hoaxes by scammers this week. An elderly southend couple was ripped off after they let four men posing as MDC workers into their home Monday evening. The men stole several thousand dollars from an unlocked safe under the couples bed.

All utility workers carry photo ID, most are dressed in uniforms and driving marked company vehicles.Be sure to check identities before letting anyone into your home, especially if you aren't expecting a service call from a utility.

Also making the rounds is a scam where people are getting phone calls telling them that a family member has been involved in an accident and being held hostage in exchange for a ransom. The ransom is usually a relatively small amount of a few hundred dollars. The call may be originating from a Puerto Rico phone exchange.

If you receive a ransom call, be sure to notify the Hartford Police at 860-757-4000