Westfield To Hold Virtual Forum About Avoiding Scams

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield police said that last Wednesday, a resident who lives on Boulevard reported being a victim of identity theft and fraud.

An unknown person used her identity to open a fraudulent Best Buy account and attempted to make $849 in unauthorized purchases, police said. However, the woman did not suffer a monetary loss.

The case was one of many so far this year in which residents were victims of identity theft, fraud, and scams.

Earlier this year, a Westfield woman was scammed out of $435,000 after someone contacted her via Instagram.

Internet scams are becoming more frequent during the pandemic, officials have said.

This Monday at 1 p.m., Lifelong Westfield and the Westfield Police Department will present a webinar to help residents identify and avoid fraud and scams, many of which target senior citizens and are on the rise.

To obtain the Zoom meeting information, attendees must register in advance by emailing westfieldnjseniors@gmail.com or calling 908-201-1287.

Other recent scams

Police have warned residents not to give personal information to strangers over the internet or phone.

For instance, a Summit resident was swindled out of $9,000 in December in a popular "Grandparent Scam," a scam in which callers say they have a person's child or grandchild in custody and need money.

And a Westfield resident was bilked out of $10,000 in a phone scam in February. READ MORE: Westfield Resident Bilked Out Of $10K In Phone Scam

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