MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury police on Jan. 4 received information about an attempt to defraud a local business.
Police said the business received an email urging that it change its direct deposit account information and wire money to a fake account. Police said the business fortunately didn’t honor the request.
Police noted a similar scam attempted in Middlebury in September. In that case an email — purported to be from a local contractor — was sent to a business requesting a change in the routing and account number for future payments for services rendered. Closer inspection showed that email to be fake.
Police remind residents and business owners to be careful about any email requests for the changing of account and routing numbers because there appears to be increase in attempted scams using this approach.
In other action last week, Middlebury police:
•  Responded to a domestic dispute at a Halladay Road home on Dec. 31.
•  Investigated a report of someone allegedly threatening self-harm in the Court Street Extension area on Jan. 1. Police said the person was angry over a family issue and had made a threat to hurt others and then kill himself. Police said their investigation revealed the person was just angry and didn’t plan to follow through with the threats.
•  Assisted Vermont State Police and Counseling Service of Addison County officials with a Ferrisburgh resident who was feared to be suicidal on Jan. 1.
•  Assisted Porter Hospital officials with a patient who was stuck in a room on Jan. 1.
•  Investigated a report of two suspicious persons allegedly looking into vehicles parked on Bakery Lane during the evening of Jan. 2. Police checked the area and found nothing amiss.
•  Assisted Middlebury firefighters at the scene of a vehicle fire near the intersection of Lower Foote Street and Route 7 South on Jan. 2.
•  Were informed of the theft of a coat from the Middlebury Inn on Jan. 2.
•  Ticketed a youth for being a minor in possession of tobacco products on Middlebury Union High School campus on Jan. 2. Police said the youth was found vaping in a school bathroom.
•  Found a student who had walked away from the Champlain Valley Academy in Catamount Park on Jan. 2. Police said they turned the youth over to a parent.
•  Responded to a fraud complaint made by a Middle Road North resident on Jan. 2.
•  Served a no-trespass order on Jan. 3 on behalf of the Champlain Farms store on Court Street.
•  Responded to a report of a fight in a hallway at 15 Court St. Police said they found several people who might have been fighting, but none were willing to talk about what had occurred.
•  Responded to a report of an unwanted person at a High Street residence on Jan. 3. Police said they told a resident how to apply for a restraining order.
•  Were informed of an alleged theft from a Middlebury Union High School locker room on Jan. 3.
•  Cited Jerry L. Hoffman, 26, of Middlebury for retail theft after investigating a report of a person allegedly taking a bottle of wine from the Middlebury Mobil Short Stop on Jan. 3.
•  Assisted Middlebury Regional EMS on Route 7 South on Jan. 3.
•  Investigated a report of a drunken man wandering around Main Street on Jan 4. Police said they gave the man a ride to his home.
•  Investigated the reported theft of a unspecified amount of cash from a Court Street apartment on Jan. 4. Police said several persons had allegedly been in the apartment prior to the money being reported missing. The investigation continues.
•  Cited Kristin Sunderland, 26, of Shoreham, for retail theft in connection with an alleged incident at Hannaford’s Supermarket on Jan. 4.
•  Cited Charles Swanner and Dawn Doviak, both 38-year-old Brandon residents, for retail theft following an alleged shoplifting incident at Hannaford’s supermarket on Jan. 4.
•  Euthanized an injured deer that had been struck by a vehicle on Case Street on Jan. 4.
•  Were told on Jan. 4 about the alleged sexual abuse of a local resident that reportedly occurred several years ago; police are investigating.
•  Responded to noise complaints in the Cedar Court and Court Street areas on Jan. 6.
•  Responded to a dispute between Washington Street Extension neighbors on Jan. 7.
•  Assisted a Woodbridge Lane resident who was having mental health issues on Jan. 7.