Watch Out For Phone Scam, Holmdel Police Warn

HOLMDEL, NJ — Authorities are warning residents of a phone scam in which callers pretend to be the police.

The Holmdel Police Department has received multiple reports of Bitcoin scams where callers are "spoofing" police department phone numbers.

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The actors make phone calls, claim to be the police, and try to convince residents there are warrants for the residents' arrest.

The call seems legitimate as the caller ID shows the number of the local police department, and the callers also play background audio of what sounds like police radio traffic, police said.

"Police departments DO NOT make phone calls to inform residents of active warrants and solicit payments through cryptocurrency," Holmdel Police warned. "These actors are very aggressive and insist on receiving payment for the warrant. Their goal is to overwhelm the victim and make them believe that they will go to prison if they do not comply."

If you receive a call like this, police advise you to:

• Hang up immediately
• Do not provide personal or financial information
• Do not send money or purchase gift cards or cryptocurrency to satisfy the caller's demands.

To report this scam, or if you are a victim of the scam, you can call the Holmdel Police Department at 732-946-4400.