Gloucester Twp. Resident Loses $25K In Coronavirus Scam: Police

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — An elderly Gloucester Township resident was the victim of a new coronavirus-related scam in which they were cheated out of more than $25,000, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday.

It was one of a number of cases that were reported in various counties around the state, according to authorities. As part of the scam, the victim or victims receive a phone call from a person posing as a lawyer or family member who says a child or grandchild has been arrested and needs to be bailed out of jail.

The victims are then told to collect cash from the bank and wait at home where a bail bondsman will meet them due to the current quarantine related to the coronavirus. Police said the person posing as a bondsman accepts the cash, and they’re never heard from again.

“A victim in Cherry Hill lost over $10,000 and another in Gloucester Township was scammed out of more than $25,000,” Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer said. “Based on the circumstances, this appears to be an organized, targeted effort to defraud vulnerable adults who believe they are just trying to help their loved ones.”

Anyone who receives a call asking for bail money should ask what jail their family member is being held in, write down the phone number of the person calling them and hang up, authorities advised. They should then call the jail and ask if their family member is being held there before making any decisions.

Anyone who has any information that can help investigators should contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Alex Burckhardt at 609-789-7330, Gloucester Township Police Detective Sgt. Anthony Massi at 856-302-7052 or Cherry Hill Police Detective Anthony Sorrentino at 856-432-8825.