Fraud In Nutley: Bank Accounts, Debit Card, Address Change

NUTLEY, NJ — Several cases of fraud were recently reported in Nutley, authorities announced last week.

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

June 25 – Headquarters received a report from a victim that discovered $25,000 missing from their checking account. They immediately advised their bank who opened an investigation and requested a police report. The checking account was closed, and the missing funds were refunded into the victim’s account.

June 26 – Headquarters received a walk-in report of theft/fraud. The victim stated that while at the gym, they placed their personal items in a locker and locked the lock. Upon their return to retrieve their items, the lock was broken. When making a purchase directly after working out, they realized their debit card was missing. The bank was contacted immediately, and a freeze was placed on the account. Three transactions were made with the card totaling approximately $225. Police detectives were able to identify an actor and were in the process of charging him with theft and fraud.

June 26 – The victim reported being alerted by their bank that an actor attempted to take $540 from their account. The victim also reports that they believe someone has their IP address from their phone and is using it to gain access to their information from another device. The victim’s email addresses, and social media accounts have been compromised as well. There is also other information stored on their phone that is also causing them concern. The victim opted into the Identity Theft Victim Database and was advised to monitor all their personal and financial accounts.

June 27 – Headquarters received a report from a victim advising that someone tried to change their address at the U.S. Post Office. A letter was received in the mail asking the victim to validate their address. The victim did not request the address change and was not given the new address from the post office. Additionally, the victim received a credit card ($700 limit) in the mail that they did not apply for. The bank was alerted to the fact that the victim had not applied for a credit card. The card was flagged, and the victim was advised to monitor their accounts for any irregularities. Additionally, it was suggested that the victim contact Social Security to report their Social Security number possibly being compromised. The victim was also advised to contact the Postal Inspection Service.

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