Mercer County prosecutor: Don't fall for this phone scam

Mercer County officials are warning the public about a phone scam where the caller claims to be a high-ranking official in the prosecutor's office.

In a statement released Tuesday, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said her office was contacted by a victim reporting they got a call from someone imitating them using a spoofed number.

What the Mercer County scam caller said

The caller falsely claimed to be "Lieutenant Adams" and claimed that one of the victim's family members had an outstanding warrant and needed to provide a DNA sample.

The scammer then told the victim to deposit $10,000 in cash into a Bitcoin ATM, allegedly to resolve the issue.

Prosecutors say similar recent scams by text message often impersonate state agencies. These fraudulent messages typically instruct recipients to urgently click a link to pay a fine or fee.

Prosecutors tell the public that law enforcement will never contact people over the phone for money. Always verify who you're speaking to report suspected scams to law enforcement.

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Ignore these calls, NJ! Area codes you should never pick up

While dodging scam calls can feel a bit like playing “Wack a mole” on the boardwalk, there are some area codes that are giant red flags, as collected by the Better Business Bureau and socialcatfish.com:

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt