Travis Simms

During a recent Energy and Technology Committee meeting, an energy expert testified about how we can keep our oil and gas costs in check. 

While there isn't much that can be done concerning the current cost of commodities, residents can control consumption through conservation, according to the expert.

That incudes the following:

• Drive your vehicle the speed it's built to be driven. That means driving the speed limit, which is a great way to conserve fuel.
• Inflate your vehicle's tires.
• Homeowners should call their fuel companies and schedule annual preventative furnace and boiler maintenance, including burner cleaning and efficiency testing.

Please watch the video below for that testimony.

I want to make you aware of a recent scam affecting local vendors and organizers of the Norwalk Oyster Festival.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a warning regarding a scammer who is impersonating the Norwalk Seaport Association.

This individual has been contacting festival vendors, asking them to submit vendor applications and pay booth fees through unapproved, non-traditional payment methods.

The scammer has been using vendor contact information, possibly obtained from previous years' festival records, to reach out to unsuspecting vendors. Some of these vendors were asked to pay $535 for booth space and electricity through unconventional online payment platforms, including the App Store. These requests are not associated with the legitimate Norwalk Seaport Association.

The scam began last year and has continued through a fake social media ad. The scammer’s email address associated with this fraudulent activity is vendoreventshow@gmail.com, while legitimate communications from the festival will come from a @seaport.org email address.

The Norwalk Seaport Association's Executive Director, Jerry Toni, has already reported the matter to local police and the Norwalk Health Department, who are monitoring potential fraudulent food vendor permits. The investigation has traced the scam back to Kenya.

To protect yourself and others, here are a few tips:

• Be cautious with peer-to-peer payment systems—especially when asked to use the "friends and family" option or to pay via an unfamiliar email.

• Verify the legitimacy of events before submitting personal information or payment.

• Do not fall for intimidation tactics—legitimate event organizers will not pressure you to make payments in non-standard ways.

The Norwalk Oyster Festival is scheduled to take place this year from September 11-13 at Veteran's Memorial Park. Tickets for the event are not yet available, so please stay tuned for updates.

Stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

CTInsider story here.

As always, feel free to call me at 1-800-842-8267 or email me at Travis.Simms@cga.ct.gov if you have any questions or concerns. Also, please like my official Facebook Page for regular updates.

Sincerely,

Travis Simms
State Representative