Scammers Impersonate Freehold Township Police, Demand Bitcoin Payments Over Phone

The Freehold Township Police Department issued a warning this week. Scammers are calling residents and pretending to be officers. These fraudsters tell victims they owe fines and must pay through Bitcoin kiosks while remaining on the phone.

Multiple residents have gotten calls from these imposters. The scammers insist on instant payment. They won't let targets hang up.

"Please be advised that no representative of the Freehold Township Police Department will ever request payment of fines or fees via Bitcoin, gift cards, or any commercial kiosk," the department said in an online post, per Patch.com. "Your awareness and caution help keep our community safe."

If you get one of these calls, hang up right away. Don't share personal details. Never give out financial data.

Anyone receiving a questionable call should phone the department at 732-462-7500 to verify whether it was real. Officers can confirm if the call was fraudulent and explain what steps to take.

Police departments throughout New Jersey never ask for fine payments over the phone. These phishing schemes have spread across the state, targeting unsuspecting residents in numerous towns.

Other scams are hitting New Jersey right now. Fake texts claim to come from the Motor Vehicle Commission. They say you have unpaid tickets or a suspended registration and contain dangerous links.

Some criminals pretend to be from the Division of Taxation or other state offices. Their emails or texts claim you must verify bank details or collect a refund. Clicking takes you to counterfeit websites built to steal your information.

Generic phishing emails copy the look of banks, utilities, or government agencies. Subject lines might say "Security Update," "Account Suspended," or "Please Confirm Your Account."

Watch for warning signs. Urgent demands suggest fraud. Pressure to pay fast means trouble. Any requests to click links or dial numbers in unexpected messages should create suspicions.

Anyone claiming to work for the government, a bank, or a utility company over the phone deserves scrutiny. Misspelled web addresses or URLs with odd extra words are dead giveaways. Messages arriving from unknown numbers require extra care.

Protect yourself by avoiding links and phone numbers in suspicious messages. Go straight to the official website of any organization and use contact information you know is correct.

If you're on a computer, move your mouse over links without clicking to see where they really go. A strange URL means danger.

Never give out Social Security numbers, bank accounts, PINs, or passwords to someone who contacts you out of the blue. Taking a moment to think can save you from disaster.