More Fraud Cases Reported In Nutley: Credit Cards, Phones, Banks, Computers

The Nutley Police Department has seen its own recent brushes with scamsters.

By Eric Kiefer, Patch Staff

Aug 17, 2026 1:08 PM EDT

NUTLEY, NJ — Cases of fraud and identity theft continue to be reported in Nutley.

The Nutley Police Department has seen its own brushes with fraudsters, with the NPD recently issuing an advisory about two different scams involving police impersonators. Other recent cases of fraud in Nutley have involved spyware on phones and bail scams.

Here are some of the most recent schemes that have been reported in Nutley, police say:

July 27 (Theft of Identity, High Street) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of identity theft. The resident stated they received a letter in the mail from Wells Fargo requesting more information for their credit card application. The resident stated they did not apply for a Wells Fargo credit card and believes someone attempted to open an account using their personal information. The resident further stated they received a call from American Express stating they needed more information to complete their application for an American Express credit card. The resident stated they did not apply for an American Express credit card. The resident was entered in as a victim of identity theft and froze their existing credit card accounts. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

July 27 (Fraud, Freeman Place) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraudulent activity. The resident stated they received a letter in the mail from Verizon stating an account was created with four phone lines being added. The resident stated they do not have Verizon as phone carrier or as an internet service provider. The resident further stated a note was left stating a package could not be delivered due to the package not being signed for. The resident stated they visited a Verizon store on to resolve the issue where the accounts were shut down and the funds were restored. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

July 27 (Fraud, Franklin Avenue) – Officers responded to Franklin Avenue on a report of fraud. The victim stated they received a call from TD Banks fraud department advising that the bank is doing an investigation on the victim's account. The victim stated the male claiming to be from the fraud department, stated there are two people attempting to wire money from their account and as part of their investigation, the victim has to withdraw money. The victim stated they were instructed to withdraw a large sum on money and there would be a vehicle outside of the bank awaiting pickup. The victim stated after the transaction, they became worried this was possibly a scam and notified 9-1-1. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

July 30 (Fraud, River Road) – Officers responded to River Road on a report of fraud. The resident stated they purchased a laptop and received a message from a laptop repair service stating that the resident currently owed them money. The resident stated they were then called by an unknown number where an individual stated they accidentally sent a large sum of money to the resident's account instead of a smaller amount. The resident stated they were directed by the caller to go to their nearest mall, go to four separate stores and purchase five gift cards in the amount they accidentally sent to the resident's account. The resident became suspicious and hung up the call. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 3 (Fraud, Milton Avenue) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraud. The resident stated they were contacted by their coworker stating that they needed money due to having issues with their bank. The resident stated their coworker advised them to send the money to an unknown email address through the Zelle app. The resident then realized the person they were speaking with was not their coworker and seized all contact with them. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 3 (Fraud, Satterthwaite Avenue) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraud. The resident stated for the past couple of weeks, a caller would attempt request the purchase of Walmart gift cards to pay for an accident report. The resident stated the fraudulent caller advised to write a check for the accident report and someone would respond to their residence to pick up the check. This prompted the report to police noting that the calls were fraudulent. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 4 (Fraud, Stager Street) – Officers responded to Stager Street on a report of fraud. The resident stated they were contacted by the loss prevention team from their bank who stated that a check of theirs was trying to be cashed in for $7,100. The resident stated they did send out a check for $100 the week prior. The resident stated the bank was provided the same check number but the unknown person that was trying to cash the check, altered the amount for $7,100. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 5 (Suspicious Incident, New Street) – Officers responded to New Street on a report of fraud. The resident stated while driving home from work, they received a phone call from an individual claiming to be 'Captain David Gilbert' from the Essex County Sheriff's Office and advised them that they had an outstanding bench warrant for failure to appear in court. The resident stated that they were instructed to get cash from a financial institution and proceed to Newark to pay the bond. The resident further stated that the caller advised the full amount would be returned to them for the warrants but if they did not receive the money, they would be given a new court date. The resident realized that they were being scammed therefore they did not follow what the caller instructed. The detective bureau was notified of the incident."

Aug. 8 (Suspicious Incident, Fernwood Terrace) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of a suspicious piece of mail they received. The resident stated they received a piece of mail with their address on it but with an unknown name attached. The resident stated they did not open the mail nor was the person it was addressed to, the previous owner of the home. Officers looked up the name and observed that there were multiple articles linked to this person for identity theft. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 11 (Fraud, Passaic Avenue) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraud. The resident stated they logged into their business account and noticed a large amount of money missing. The resident stated they observed two fraudulent check withdrawals from their bank account that was transferred over into an unknown account. The resident stated the fraudulent checks appear to have been created by someone else since they are in possession of their own check book. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 12 (Suspicious Incident, Yale Street) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of a suspicious incident. The resident stated their company was in the process of transitioning its affiliation to another company. The resident stated as part of this transition, they were working with their IT department to transfer applications on their computer. The resident further stated during the process, a pop-up message appeared stating that the computer has hacked and that they must contact the phone number provided from Microsoft's IT department. The resident called the phone number but immediately became suspicious and ended the call. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 13 (Fraud, Coventry Drive) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraud. The resident stated they wrote out a check and mailed it to their medical provider to pay an outstanding balance. The resident stated a short time after; they received a bill in the mail from their medical provider stating they did not receive the payment. The resident reviewed their account and noticed that the original check was never cashed but instead, the check was split in four new checks. The resident further stated the checks were cashed through a mobile app unknown to them. The detective bureau was notified of the incident.

Aug. 14 (Fraud, Whitford Avenue) – A resident responded to headquarters on a report of fraud. The resident stated their business account was hacked as there has been ongoing fraudulent charges that began in December. The resident stated they contacted their bank who stated the large sum of charges come back to a name unknown to them. The detective bureau was notified and will resume the investigation.

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