Be Alert To Random Text Messages To Kids, Authorities Warn

In light of incidents where juveniles have received random text messages from a person who in one instance tried to arrange to meet the teen, authorities are warning people to be alert and exercise caution.

“All Ocean County parents must heed the warning,” said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, responding to a letter from Wall School District officials telling parents about an incident where a student was contacted by someone who then tried to set up a meeting.

“This dangerous activity targeting our children could go beyond the borders of Wall Township,” he said in a post on the prosecutor’s office Facebook page.

Wall Township Police Lt. Pete Lokerson said police there have received several reports of random messages after the parents of a juvenile reported on Tuesday that the teen had received suspicious text messages.

Lokerson said the message appeared to be an inadvertent text, but when the juvenile answered, the conversation continued.

“During the course of the texting conversation, the subject identified themselves as an adult female and mentioned meeting the juvenile in two possible locations,” Lokerson said. Since the initial report, additional reports have come in of adults and juveniles receiving random text messages on their cell phones.

“The text messages are vague and appear to be attempting to direct people to specific web sites possibly in an attempt to increase traffic on those web sites,” Lokerson said.

He added that police do not believe there is an imminent threat, but they are actively investigating the incident and attempting to identify the sender of the text messages.

The police department’s announcement followed on the heels of a letter sent Wednesday to parents of Wall Intermediate School students warning about the issue.

Residents who receive random texts from an unknown person should not respond, Lokerson said.

“At no time should you ever send personal information electronically to an unknown source,” he added.

Anyone with information or similar incident is asked to contact the Wall Township Police Department Detective Bureau at 732-449-4800, or your local police department.