Don't Fall For Scams Amid Coronavirus Outbreak: Toms River Police

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Scammers continue to be a problem, and the Toms River Police Department is urging residents to not fall for any of the claims that are made while people are coping with the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Toms River police have received reports of phone calls that appear to be coming from the police department, and the scammers are requesting payment in gift cards.

"We will never solicit money over the phone," police said. "Please do not ever pay someone over the phone with gift cards."

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The police department is limiting public interaction amid the outbreak and is urging residents to who need to file police reports for incidents such as thefts, car burglaries, vandalism, lost property, and interference with child custody, to use the online reporting system.

Once you file a report using the Citizens Online Police Reporting System you can print a copy immediately.

Emergency calls will continue to be answered.

As of noon Thursday, there were 890 positive tests for COVID-19 in New Jersey, and 11 people have died from it, according to the state health department. More than 50 percent of those positives are people who are hospitalized, officials said. There were four cases in Toms River and 48 in Ocean County as of Thursday afternoon, the county health department said.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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