Full Notification

The Bordentown Township Police Department has observed a recent increase in phone scams targeting the elderly, specifically the "grandchild in distress" scam. In this scam a grandparent receives a frantic call from someone either posing as their grandchild, law enforcement or an attorney. The caller then claims that the grandchild was arrested and needs immediate money to be released from jail. The caller may ask the grandparent to avoid contacting the child’s parents out of embarrassment or because the need is too urgent, thereby helping them avoid detection. Typically the caller would direct the grandparent to wire or mail the funds but more recently scammers have been traveling to the grandparent’s home to pick up cash which has resulted in significant losses to numerous elderly NJ residents.

If you receive a fraudulent phone call such as this then resist the pressure to act quickly and immediately contact police.