Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler is advising the public there has been an increasing number of phone scams. The caller will contact a person and identify themselves as a sheriff’s officer or police officer and tell them that if they do not pay a certain amount of money, they will be arrested.
The Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, or any local police department, will never call to ask you to provide finances of any sort to them under the threat of arrest.
The Atlantic County Sheriff’s offers the following tips to help avoid becoming a victim to a telephone scam:
- Be extremely suspicious of callers who demand immediate payments. Hang up immediately.
- Do not call back on any number they provide. Call the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office directly at 609-909-7200 or call your local police department directly.
- Never give out personal or financial information to unsolicited callers, including account numbers, social security numbers, date of birth, passwords or other identifying information.
- Never wire money, provide debt or credit card numbers or Visa card numbers to someone you do not know.
- If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking your personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement or agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.
- Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t know. With spoofing becoming more common, question the number on the caller ID. Be cautious and verify the person on the other end of the phone by telling them you’ll call them or the company back.
- Don’t be afraid to tell the caller you need time to think about your decision. Talk with a trusted friend, family member, or call your local police department.
If you’re ever unsure about the legitimacy of any call from someone claiming to be law enforcement, hang up and call the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office at 609-909-7200 or your local police department directly.
