Crime & Safety

Phone Scammer Poses As Long Branch Police Member: PD

The caller ID contained the Long Branch Police Department's phone number.

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A phone scammer pretended to work for the Long Branch Police Department and demanded someone's personal information Monday, according to authorities. The caller ID contained Long Branch PD's phone number (732-222-1000).

The male caller said someone used the victim's social security number and racked up $1.6 billion in debt in her name, police said. The caller demanded her personal info including her social security number, as well as banking, credit and gift-card account info.

The victim provided no information and immediately called police.

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The caller used technology to make it look like Long Branch PD contacted her. Long Branch PD announced the incident Tuesday and reminded people to not provide personal information via phone.

Long Branch police and Social Security Administration representatives never ask you to provide account information over the phone, police said. You should only share that info face-to-face or by mail, according to the Long Branch Police Department.

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