2 Online ‘Relationships’ Turn Out To Be Scams: Nutley Police

NUTLEY, NJ — A pair of online “relationships” that recently sprouted on the internet turned out to be scams, Nutley police say.

According to the Nutley Police Department, the following incidents were reported in the township last week.

Aug. 29 – “A report of fraud was taken by officers. The victim wished to document that for the last nine months they had been involved in an online dating relationship with a party known as ‘Stephanie Bell.’ During that course of time, the victim was directed by ‘Ms. Bell’ to send money to multiple parties. The total amount of money sent is estimated at approximately $6,800. The victim feels that ‘Ms. Bell’ is not who she claims to be, and they are a victim of fraud. The detective bureau was advised of the incident and the victim advised to monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity.”

Aug. 31 – “The victim of fraud reported the incident to police. They stated they met a party by the name of ‘Scott Byran’ on the app Plentyoffish in February and began an ‘internet relationship.’ During that time, ‘Mr. Byran’ shared with the victim that he was having financial difficulties and requested approximately $500 in iTunes gift cards, which the victim sent. Furthermore, ‘Mr. Byran’ began to request more money for financial assistance, promising to pay the money back. A total of $26,000 was sent via Zelle during April, May and June. Additionally, $81,000 was sent via bank transfers between June thru August. The total amount defrauded is approximately $107,500. The detective bureau is investigating.”

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