Sea Girt Police: Phone Scam Targets Seniors

The Sea Girt Police Department is warning area residents of a telephone scam aimed at seniors.

Sea Girt Police have reported two incidents last week, one on Oct. 24 and another on Oct. 27, of residents receiving calls from scammers claiming to be the intended victim's grandchild. Authorities explain that this common scam has become more prevalent in recent years with the availability of personal information on the internet.

In both instances, the caller claimed to be out of the country and in need of money to pay a bill or bail. The scam may also include a second phone call from someone claiming to be an official from that country's U.S. Embassy.

The first incident involved the called claiming to be arrested in Ontario, Canada and needing bail money. The story in the second incident had the caller claiming to have wrecked a rental car in Barcelona, Spain and needing to pay off the rental company before they could leave the country.

The Sea Girt Police Department has put together a list of precautionary measures that residents can use to protect themselves: 

• Resist the pressure to "act now." Don’t panic and take the time to verify the story. 
• Ask yourself, "Is my grandchild really out of the country?"
• Try to contact your grandchild’s mother or father even if the caller tells you not to call them. 
• Know who you are dealing with. If a person claims to be from a U. S. Embassy, call them back at a phone number you find for the Embassy, not the number they give to you. 
• A simple search on the internet may unravel a con artist's story. You may find phone numbers and addresses used in the story may not match the actual phone numbers and addresses of police stations, embassies, hospitals, or other places where you are asked to send money. 
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, telephone calls, or mail attempting to extract money from you or asking you to transfer money electronically or urgently. 
• If you are in doubt, call your local police department.