Woodbridge Police Warn Against Scammers In The Area

WOODBRIDGE, NJ— After an uptick in scams, particularly targeting the elderly, Woodbridge Police have issued a warning about the different ways scammers will try and get money.

"People panic and follow the instructions given by these people who are quite convincing," Captain Roy Hoppock told Patch. They often times pose as contractors, charging huge fees for doing small repair work jobs-- or just charging huge fees.

One hallmark of a scam? They'll ask for payment in strange ways, like pre-paid debit cards or iTunes gift cards. That should always be a red flag, and if someone calls claiming to be from a reputable company asking for payment this way, hang up and alert the police.

Here are a list of different scams Woodbridge Police have seen:

CABLE TV: Someone will call claiming to be from the cable company, and will only accept cash or prepaid debit cards for a 200 channel promotion. The victims will receive the channels, but as soon as payment is given the channels will disappear.

MEDICARE SCAM: Someone will call asking for personal information, such as social security numbers and bank account numbers, claiming they are from Medicare. Medicare will not call out of the blue.

IRS SCAM: Someone will call and tell you that you must pay more in taxes, or face arrest. They'll direct you to a local money order store, asking you to give them the information for the money order once you buy it. The IRS will never ask for more money this way; they first contact via letters. Hang up and call the IRS.

WARRANT SCAMS: Someone will call saying there's a warrant out for your arrest. Police do not issue arrest warrants this way; hang-up and call the department they say their with to report the scam.

LOTTERY SCAM: Someone will contact you saying that you've won a large sum of money, but must first pay taxes on it. They'll ask for your bank account, claiming they'll put the after-tax amount in, but will instead drain your account. If they send you a check, do not deposit it-- contact the police.

UTILITY SCAM: Someone will call saying they need to come check your power meter, but that the balance of the account must be paid first, using a money order. Do not give any money this way. Hang up, and call the utility company back at the phone number listed on the website.

DONATIONS TO POLICE: This one is tricky-- sometimes callers will pretend to be with police departments, asking for money for fundraisers. The NJ PBA and the NJ State Police never solicit this way, but some police organizations do. If you're not sure it's legitimate, hang up and call the local police department directly.

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