A Georgia man has been arrested after allegedly impersonating a bank employee and tricking a Connecticut business into handing over $50,000.
Junior Astre, 41, of Loganville, Georgia, faces charges including first-degree identity theft, second-degree money laundering, first-degree larceny, criminal impersonation and second-degree telephone fraud, reports CT Insider.
The case began in June 2025 when a West Hartford business reported receiving a call from someone claiming to work as a fraud manager for Webster Bank, resulting in the company losing tens of thousands of dollars.
Says West Hartford police Captain Aaron Vafiades,
“During the scam, the business lost $50,000 to the suspect.”
Detectives spent the following year investigating the fraud before identifying Astre as the alleged suspect. Police did not disclose what evidence led them to Astre.
Authorities took Astre into custody Wednesday at a Georgia jail before extraditing him to Connecticut. He was being held on $100,000 bond while awaiting arraignment.
The case comes as banks continue warning customers about criminals who pose as fraud department employees. Scammers may even manipulate caller ID information to make their calls appear to originate from legitimate bank numbers.
Webster Bank advises businesses that receive unexpected calls about suspicious account activity to hang up and contact the bank directly using a verified number from an account statement, bank card or official website.
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