Scammers Pretend To Be Barnegat Police, Officials Warn

BARNEGAT, NJ — Receiving a call from the Barnegat Police Department? Think twice before giving them any information, police warn.

Scammers are using a spoofing app to mimic the department's phone number, (609)-698-5000, to try and steal the personal information of residents, police said.

"Please be diligent when anyone asks you for personal identifiers such as your full name, date of birth, social security number or banking information," police said.

While there may be times that officers request personal information over the phone, it will never come from the department's main phone number. That is only used for incoming calls.

If you receive a call from (609)-698-5000, it's not a Barnegat officer, police said.

If you're afraid someone is posing as an officer in an attempt to defraud you, police say you should ask for the officer's name and then hang up and call dispatch. There, a Barnegat communications officer will reconnect you to reassure that you are speaking with an actual officer.

"Thank you and stay safe!" police said.