NJ residents getting calls from ‘police’ demanding money

📞 Several NJ law enforcement agencies have been hit by phone scams in 2023

📞 Police will never ask for money over the phone

📞 Scam phone callers are subject to fines

One of the oldest phone scams has made an unwelcome return to a Morris County town.

Roxbury Township police said people are getting calls that come up as "Roxbury Police" on Caller ID. The callers identify themselves as officers and demand money in order to avoid arrest on a warrant.

“This is a scam! We are not going to ever call you and demand money,” the department wrote on its Facebook page.

Many organizations affected by scam

Police in Holmdel, Nutley, Toms River and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office have all been affected by similar scam calls this year.

Toms River police advised to never call a phone number provided by the scammer or fall prey to their pressure tactics.

"Spoofed phone numbers are typically done through a VPN (Virtual Private Network) making it difficult for law enforcement to track the actual caller," Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said in statement.

If the fake callers are found, the Federal Caller ID Act of 2009 specifically makes using a fake caller ID to cause harm or for fraud a crime. It also requires that telemarketers use an accurate Caller ID number. Offenders face a fine of up to $10,000 per violation up to $1 million.

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