Real Crestwood Advisors of Boston issues consumer alert; victims report up to 68 calls per day from rotating numbers
Scam Robocalls Claiming Loan Approvals Hit New Haven County
Residents are New Haven County and surrounding areas are among the targets of a widespread robocall scam using the name "Crestwood Loan Advisors" to pose as a legitimate financial company and solicit sensitive personal and banking information.
The fraudulent calls claim that recipients have been pre-approved for loans they never applied for and pressure them to provide Social Security numbers and bank account details. The scam has been reported in multiple states and shows no sign of slowing despite victims' efforts to block the numbers.
A Real Firm, a Fake Impersonator
The scammers are trading on the name of a real company: Crestwood Advisors, a Boston-based wealth management firm with no connection to lending or telemarketing. After receiving complaints from members of the public who confused the scam with the legitimate business, Crestwood Advisors issued a formal consumer alert.
"We are not affiliated with any entity using the name 'Crestwood Loan Advisors,' and we urge the public not to provide personal information in response to such calls," the firm stated in its alert. The company emphasized that it does not engage in cold calling, unsolicited loan offers, or telemarketing of any kind.
Dozens of Calls Per Day
Victims say the calls are relentless. The Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker has logged complaints from individuals reporting up to 68 calls and voicemails in a single 24-hour period. The calls come from rotating toll-free numbers — new numbers appear each day — making them nearly impossible to block using standard call-blocking features or the National Do Not Call Registry.
The calls use automated or AI-generated voices and are routed through voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) systems, which allow scammers to rapidly cycle through numbers and obscure their origins. Scammers reportedly obtain phone numbers from a combination of sources, including credit inquiry data, wardialing, data brokers, and deceptive online loan quote forms.
How to Protect Yourself
Residents who receive calls from "Crestwood Loan Advisors" or similar fake lenders should not engage with the caller or provide any personal information. Legitimate lenders do not call unsolicited to inform people of pre-approved loans.
Authorities recommend filing complaints with:
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov
- The Connecticut Attorney General's office at portal.ct.gov/AG
Documenting the phone numbers and times of calls can help federal investigators track the operation across state lines. The FTC has pursued enforcement actions against large-scale robocall operations before, though investigations of this type typically take time.
No Local Enforcement Action Reported
As of the article's publication, no local New Haven enforcement action or public advisory specific to the "Crestwood Loan Advisors" calls has been announced. State or federal agencies have not issued Connecticut-specific alerts.
Residents who believe they have already shared financial information with the callers should contact their bank immediately to flag potential fraud, change account credentials, and consider placing a credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus.
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