MAYS LANDING - Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler recently announced residents have reported a phone scam in the area.
According to Scheffler, the scammer identifies himself as a Richard Ashton from the Federal Reserve, and tells the citizen that their bank accounts have been compromised. During one call, the citizen was asked to perform a Google search to give the phone number of the local Sheriff's Office so the Federal Reserve can confirm the location. The citizen then received a phone call from a spoofed caller ID to appear like is originated from the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office main phone number 609-909-7200. The citizen is then told that they have a warrant for their arrest.
Most residents disconnected the calls before the scammer could get any further into requesting financial information.
Scheffler advises residents that if a warrant were issued, a law enforcement officer would seek you out for arrest. They would not call over the phone to have you turn yourself in to the court.
Never provide any financial information over the phone, Scheffler said.
"If someone purporting to be an officer asks for any type of credit card or bank account number over the phone, it's a scam," he said. "Detectives are investigating the source of these calls. If you are ever in doubt about the veracity of a call, please contact our department at 609-909-7200."
