A Message from Scotch Plains Police Chief Ted Conley

Frauds and scams have become an easy crime of choice in the 21st century.

In 2021, consumers lost more than $5.8 billion to fraud, up 70% over 2020! Almost 2.8 million people filed a fraud complaint, an annual record. Imposter scams were most prevalent, but investment scams cost the typical victim the most money, CNBC reports. 

Many of the victims in our community are elderly. But don’t be mistaken, criminals are not picky; they will victimize anyone willing to fall for a common scam. 

Last year, several Scotch Plains residents were targeted with the commonly-known ‘Grandparent’ or `Imposter’ scam. A suspect reviews the social media accounts of an elderly individual for personal information, such as family members. Then, the suspect pretends to be the person’s grandchild, claiming they need bail, or have been in a serious accident or need to pay an attorney right now. 

Many start the conversation with, ‘Hi Grandpa or Grandma, do you know who this is?’ (They want victims to say the name of their grandchild so that they can claim to be that person.) Scammers will then instruct the victim to purchase a gift card or wire money to help out in this “emergency.” They don’t want the victim to think, just act. See it here. 

The Scotch Plains police are also aware of online shopping fraud as well as investment scams, resulting in large amounts of stolen money. 

Here are four signs to be aware of: 

1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know.
2. Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize.
3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
4. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way; gift card, wire the money, etc. 

We are asking residents to protect themselves and loved ones by blocking unwanted calls and text messages, by not giving out personal or financial information and to use a smartphone app that detects spam and fraud calls. 

Please remember that no reputable company, police department, lawyer, etc. will ask for payment with a gift card or a wire transfer.   

If someone calls you seeking money, ask for their name and call-back number. If you receive a text or email with links, even if it appears real, don’t click the links. And, most importantly, resist the urge to respond immediately. 

If you receive a call, text or email that appears fraudulent, please contact the Scotch Plains Police Department at 908-322-7100. We will stop by your house to take a look at the suspicious message. We would rather take a few minutes to help out a resident, rather than having any more victims to scams.