CAMDEN, N.J. – The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a recent rise in phone scams reported in other counties.
“The most recent scam involves a caller posing as a local Sheriff’s Office official, convincing the victim that they have an outstanding warrant or debt and will be arrested unless they send funds via prepaid card,” Sheriff Whip Wilson said in a statement. “Residents should never give their personal or financial information to strangers over the phone, and should report any suspicious calls they receive to the police.”
Scammers have often sought personal information and prepaid money cards such as Green Dot MoneyPak cards for false warrants, civil process fees, overdue IRS payments, and non-appearance for jury duty.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were 1.4 million fraud reports in 2018, and 25% of those reports said the fell for the fraud losing $1.48 billion, an increase of 38% over 2017. The top reports in 2018 were: impostor scams, debt collection, and identity theft. Of those people who reported fraud and their age, 43% of people in their 20s reported a loss to that fraud, while only 15% of people in their 70s did.
USA.gov suggests registering your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry by going to https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx or by calling 1-888-382-1222. After registering your phone, if you still receive telemarketing calls after registering, it’s very possible the calls are scams.
Residents who believe they are being victimized, or who are unsure if a call is legitimate, should contact the agency to verify their records, and report the scam to the Sheriff’s Office at (856) 225-7661 or (856) 225-7662.
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