NJ Sheriff warns against scammers pretending to be officers demanding money

NEW JERSEY (PIX11) -- The New Jersey Sheriff is warning residents against the latest scam on the rise, callers pretending to be officers.

These fraudulent callers spoof the phone numbers of local sheriff offices and try to threaten their victims with arrest if they don’t pay a fee or pressure them into sharing personal information.

During the call, scammers posing as sheriff officers tell their victims that they’ve missed jury duty, a court date or that there’s a warrant for their arrest. They then force residents to stay on the phone while they go to the bank, withdraw money and pay a fee through bitcoin, Venmo or Zelle.

The sheriff office warns that any caller claiming to be law enforcement and telling residents to send them money or gift cards is a scam. Officials urge the public to contact a family member or police if they should get such calls.

Those who have been scammed should report the incident to the County Sheriff’s Office or local law enforcement.

Other common scams are:

• Email or phone calls saying your accounts have been hacked.
• Email or pop-ups saying your computer has been hacked.
• Email or pop-ups claiming you owe money or have been hacked.
• A Facebook message that you have been hacked.
• Callers from a bank or other business claiming to update their records by asking for personal data.
• Callers claiming your grandchild was in an accident and needs bail money.