Phone scam in a NJ township involves police chief impersonation

💥 A new phone scam has popped up in a NJ town

💥 The scam involves the township's police department

💥 Police are warning residents of its fraudulence

BRANCHBURG — Police have issued a warning to residents in the Somerset County township about a phone scam in which the caller claims to be the police chief.

Branchburg police said they were recently made aware of the scam involving bad actors claiming to be Chief Richard Buck.

The caller, pretending to be Buck, tells the victim that their personal information has been compromised.

“This is 100% fraudulent activity. Do not provide any identity sensitive information during such fraudulent attempts of anyone impersonating a police officer (especially our Chief of Police) over the phone,” the police department warned on its Facebook page.

These scammers have been able to successfully use the Branchburg Police Department  number as a way to trick victims, police said.

The police department is urging residents to share this alert with friends, neighbors, and loved ones, especially seniors who may not have access to social media.

The department also warned that neighboring agencies have experienced similar scam attempts in their jurisdiction as well.

If you or anyone has fallen victim to this scam, please contact the police department at 908-526-3830.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom