4 People Have Fallen Victim To ATM Scam In Hoboken, Police Warn

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken police are warning residents about a "trending crime" that they say has affected at least four people in the area recently.

"The HPD would like to alert our residents to a trending crime occurring in our area," they said in a release on Friday, "and ask all to please use caution if approached by any individual asking to deposit a check into your bank account in exchange for ATM cash."

They said that in "four similar incidents," a man asked someone entering a bank if the person could deposit a check for them, and then give them cash in exchange.

"The [perpetrator] claims he can’t deposit the check because he does not have a bank account," police said.

But the check is fraudulent, so the person depositing it will just lose the money.

"This has been a recurring modus operandi within our jurisdiction," said Lt. Jonathan Mecka. "The incidents are occurring during the afternoon and near banks."

In fact, the police sent out a similar warning in December, this one about a man or men asking people for their Venmo or Zelle information, for "charity." READ MORE: Scam Artists Are Trying To Bilk People In Hoboken

If you are approached for one of these “Theft by Deception” crimes, contact the Hoboken
Police Department at 201-420-2100.

If you become a victim of a similar crime, tell the local police and report it in one of these places:

Where To Report Scams And Identity Theft

FTC.gov: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a free, one-stop resource at www.identitytheft.gov. To report and get assistance with recovery from identity theft. Also, you may report fraud to the FTC.

SSA.gov: If you believe someone is using your Social Security number, or has committed fraud using your SSN, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271.

Online crime: IC3.gov
If you are a victim of online crime, you can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.IC3.gov .