Authorities: Beware of Phone Scammers

Authorities are warning residents to beware of phone scams after a Toms River woman gave more than $11,000 to a person claiming to be her cousin. 

Scammers may pretend to be relatives who are in trouble, according to Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy. They'll ask their target for help in the form of money. 

"Recently a senior citizen was contacted by a person she thought was her cousin, who lives in California," Mastronardy said. "That person told the woman that he was in an accident and needed financial assistance that would require her to wire money to Mexico City."

The woman, a 90-year-old from Toms River, wired over $11,000 on various occasions to help the person she thought was family member, according to the chief. 

"It was not until she received a routine call from the cousin that she realized she was victim of a scam," Mastronardy said. 

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, too, recently warned of a phone scam involving a phony request for electrical utility work payment, said spokesman Al Della Fave. 

"The caller insists that they need to replace the electrical meter at your property. In a very convincing tone they state that this needs to be done immediately," Della Fave said in a statement. "The caller will state that a money gram, money order, or prepaid card must be sent to them in amounts ranging from $250-$500. They end by stating that if you don’t comply your electric will be shut off."

Della Fave said that the scammers may be in other states and use technology to mask their real phone numbers, making prosecution and the recovery of money "virtually impossible."

Utility customers should validate any calls received from utility companies by calling the phone number provided on their statement, not one given by the caller, Della Fave said. 

Anyone who has been the victim of a scam is asked to call the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office at 732-929-2027. 

More information about scams is available by calling the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs at 732-929-2105.