Old Phone Scam Takes New Twist In Essex County: Sheriff

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An old telephone scam has taken a new twist in Essex County, authorities say.

According to a Thursday alert from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, a long-running scam seeking payment for false warrants and overdue payments to the IRS has resurfaced in the area. This time, the callers are threatening arrest for “not appearing for jury duty.”

“The scam involves a caller stating he or she is with the Sheriff's Office and utilizes technology that falsely impacts the potential victim’s caller ID to show that the call is legitimate,” Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said. “The caller says that a warrant has been issued for the victim’s arrest but the warrant may be resolved either ‘criminally’ or ‘civilly’ by paying a fine which would negate an arrest. The scam artist then follows with instructions for the victim to use a pre-paid debit card from a major bank. The scammer then provides a call back phone number where payment can be paid.”

“We cannot stress enough that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not ask for money card information to avoid arrest,” Fontorua cautioned.

The sheriff added:

“People who receive these phone calls should never provide any personal identification, such as a date of birth, social security number or bank card information over the telephone to people you don’t know. If you do receive such a call gather as much information you can about the name and phone number given to you by the scammer and report them to their local police department."

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