Ridgewood Police Chief John M. Ward warns of latest Phone Scam

file photo Boyd Loving

Ridgewood Police Chief John M. Ward warns of latest  Phone Scam
September 4,2013

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police has experienced a number of “phone scam” reports from residents over the summer months. Below are two examples of phone scams that have been recently reported by several residents.

The “Grandparent Scam” often involves a person who calls posing as a family member in trouble. He or she places a call to an older person and when they pick up, the scammer will say something along the lines of: “Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?” When the unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like, the scammer has established a fake identity without having done any background research. The fake grandchild will usually ask for money to solve some unexpected problem (arrested and need bail money, overdue rent, payment for car repairs, etc.), to be paid via Western Union or MoneyGram, which don’t always require identification to collect. At the same time, the scam artist will beg the grandparent “please don’t tell my parents, they would kill me.” The fake grandchild will generally say they are in another state and may even say they are in another country on “vacation”.

In another recent scam the scammer places a call and has even left a voice message stating that they are from a government law enforcement agency. The name of the agency is usually fake, for example: “National Bureau of Crime”. The scammer will advise the person that criminal complaints have been signed against them or a family member and unless they give money or personal identifying information, the charges will be “filed”. This scam is not aimed at the elderly and anyone can be a victim of this. Please understand that no legitimate law enforcement agency will ever contact you this way.

The Ridgewood Police asks that you spread the word about these scams to your friends and family (especially the elderly). We also ask that you report suspicious phone calls to us so that we can continue to investigate them.

Chief John M. Ward

For more information on phone scams and ways to protect yourself please visit the following link: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud