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Cureton's office has received several recent complaints about callers posing as sheriff's officers threatening targeted victims with arrest for what they say are outstanding summonses for failing to appear in court, the sheriff said Monday.
The caller claim to be with a “Division of Warrants and Citations," he said.
“While the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for issuing warrants, the office does not have a ‘Division of Warrants and Citations,’ " Cureton said.
More importantly, he said, "it is very important to know that law enforcement and government agencies will never ask for money over the phone."
The sheriff advised citizens to:
- ·Do not give out personal information or identification over the phone;
- Never provide your credit card number or bank account information to an unsolicited caller;
- Remain silent if a caller starts out by asking, “Can you hear me?” This is a common tactic for scammers to record you saying “yes.” Scammers record your “yes” response and use it as proof that you agreed to a purchase or credit card charge'
- Hang up immediately if you are asked to wire money or pay with a prepaid debit card.
Cureton asked that anyone who believes that they may have been exposed to this or a similar-type fraud, or gets one of these calls, to contact his office at (201) 646-2222.
You could also text your tip to 274637 (CRIMES) or contact your local police department.
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