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Scams totaling nearly $100K were reported in Central Jersey
A pair of residents in Middlesex were robbed in separate scams, police said.
One scam was a person saying they were a member of the Mexican Cartel. A second scam involved investments in cryptocurrency via LinkedIn, Middlesex police said.
On Jan. 10, a resident of Tree Top Road reported they were a victim of fraud. The resident reported that they were contacted through LinkedIn by an individual offering a cryptocurrency investment opportunity. After transferring funds over the course of several months, the individual ceased all communications and the resident realized they were scammed. The total reported loss was $91,842, police said. Detective Paul Cerreto and Detective Scott Mulford are investigating.
On Jan. 5, a resident of Runyon Avenue reported they were a victim of fraud. The resident stated they received a call from an individual claiming to be a member of the Mexican Cartel, threatening to hurt their family member unless they paid a supposed debt. The caller then convinced the resident to travel to a nearby town and wire $1,900 to secure their family member’s release, police said. After doing so, the resident learned that their family member was never in danger and that they were scammed, police said. Officer James Morley investigated.