Morristown Police Sees Scam Uptick During Coronavirus Crisis

MORRISTOWN, NJ - There has been an increase in reports of online extortion scams during the current "stay-at-home" orders due to the COVID-19 crisis and Morristown Police say the elderly are being targeted.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

According to the Morristown Bureau of Police, elderly residents are being told over the phone that their grandchild is in trouble and needs their help. These scammers are posing as grandkids, lawyers, bail bondsmen, and even immigration officers in an attempt to get money from people, officials said.

Typically, these scammers will call and tell the victim that their loved one has been arrested or is being detained and that they need to immediately provide cash payment to have them released. The callers are very persuasive and aggressive and have even shown up in person to collect cash from an elderly Morris County resident in another town, police said.

"Please remember that we will never call you and demand cash payment. These calls will also not come from immigration officials or anyone else in a position of authority," police said in a statement. "If you receive such a call, we ask that you contact us immediately at 973-538-2200 or by calling the local police agency in your town."

Morristown Police asked residents help spread this message to vulnerable family, neighbors, and friends and remain vigilant to ensure that these scammers don't get away with this anymore.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.