Robbery texts signed by town’s ‘Council’ are a scam, cops say

EDISON — Residents who have received text message warnings about a spike in local robberies are being warned by police that it's a scam.

The “robo-texts” are falsely signed by the "Edison Council," while making fake claims about “78% more robberies” in the township and offering to sell recipients new home security systems, according to Police Chief Thomas Bryan.

“Family heirlooms, money, electronics, female undergarments and even pure-bred family pets have been stolen,” the scam texts say. The fake warning also tell residents: “Do not leave your children at home unsupervised at this time.”

“Someone probably thought this would be a clever pitch to sell home security systems. It’s not. It is a crime,” Bryan said. "They are using lies and deceit to pray on every homeowner’s worst fear. That is despicable.”

Victims of the scam, or anyone with knowledge about who might be behind these texts, are urged to contact Police at 732-248-7400.

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