Crime & Safety

Ridgewood Police Warn Of Scammers Pretending To Be...Ridgewood Police

"They claim the call recipient has an arrest warrant and demand payment," said the Ridgewood police, about a scam targeting local residents.

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood residents have received "multiple" suspicious phone calls recently claiming to be members of the Ridgewood Police Department and asking for money, the police said in a message on Friday.

"They claim the call recipient has an arrest warrant and demand payment," police said in the message.

To make the calls seem realistic, they look like they're coming from 201-652-3900, the police non-emergency line.

Find out what's happening in Ridgewood-Glen Rockfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"THIS IS A SCAM," the police wrote in their message on Friday. "Hang up and do not give any personal information. The Ridgewood Police Department NEVER calls to demand money over the phone for outstanding tickets or warrants."

In general, they said, "We encourage our residents to use extreme caution when dealing with requests for money over the phone or through email. Our Detective Bureau’s webpage has resources for those who have been victimized by fraud/identity theft and those who want to take steps to prevent being victimized by scammers."

Find out what's happening in Ridgewood-Glen Rockfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The Detective Bureau page is here.

Over the last several years, people across the country have been victimized by the "Grandparent Scam" in which someone calls claiming to be their grandchild and says they need bail money. Read more about North Jersey victims in that scam here.

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