Middlesex Sheriffs Alert Residents of Telephone Scam

Middlesex County residents are being informed of a telephone in which callers mask their phone number to appear as if they are calling from the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller identifies themselves as a member of law enforcement and indicates there is an outstanding federal complaint against the resident, according to South Brunswick Police. The telephone scammer will then tell the resident to send money in order to avoid arrest.

Several Middlesex County residents have received the calls. One South Brunswick resident reported the call and said it appeared legitimate because caller ID displayed the sheriff’s office main telephone number, police said.

One voicemail was left on a resident’s phone on Monday, Jan. 12. The voicemail is as follows:

“Good morning this message is intended for ___________ this is officer James O’Connor and I’m calling you with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office with the badge number 1705. The reason I was trying to reach you with in reference to a federal complaint which we have received against your name from an officer by the name Sean Woods who is working with the department of Internal Revenue Service. So the very second you receive this message I want you to step down to your department and surrender yourself or if you can speak with an officer phone what’s on the number that is area code 206-801-6132 I repeat the number again it’s 206-801-6132 and you can see what’s going on and if you would please call the office or in the next 30 minutes and I will be forced to send my investigating cops at your door steps as an as at your place of employment within organized this morning your name. You need to answer on this charges. So I want you to get in touch with officers along with you and get this complaint resolved as soon as possible. This is officer James O’Connor calling you with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office. Thank you.”

“The best prevention to falling victim to one of these scams is being aware they are going on,” Chief Raymond Hayducka said. “We share this information with the public so residents can tell their friends and family so that no one falls victim to these criminals.”

Anyone demanding money over the phone to avoid an IRS complaint is fraudulent, South Brunswick Police said. Residents who receive this call or similar telephone calls are advised to hang up the phone and contact the police.

South Brunswick Police released a recording of the voicemail from the scammer for residents to listen to on YouTube.