Forum Teaches How To Prevent Scams

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy speaks at the podium at the Crestwood Village Club House. Ocean County Director of Consumer Affairs Ronald Heinzman, seated at left joins Commissioner Gary Quinn and Ocean County Senior Services Director Maria Laface. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  MANCHESTER – A forum to fight fraud drew over 160 attendees, showing just how many residents are concerned with scams – particularly the ones that target seniors.

  Noting the increase in local scamming incidents, Judy Noonan, the Mayor’s Confidential Aide and Township Senior Service Liaison, assisted by fellow township staff member Frank Nicolato and the leadership of Crestwood Village V, organized a public forum about the growing problem.

  The forum was held at the Crestwood Village V Club House in Whiting and featured several speakers from Ocean County government including Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, Director of Consumer Affairs Ronald Heinzman, Commissioner Gary Quinn, Senior Services Director Maria Laface and Consumer Affairs Investigator Paul Wnek. Manchester Police Detectives Richard Jupinka and Victoria Guarino were also present and Jupinka noted some recent local cases that the department investigated. Council members Joseph Hankins and James Vaccaro were also in attendance.

  Each speaker noted incidents of claims of problems or prizes: Scammers frequently fabricate urgent scenarios, such as outstanding debts or promises of significant prize winnings. Victims may be falsely informed that they owe the IRS money, are owed a tax refund, need to verify accounts or must pay fees to claim non-existent lottery winnings.

Ocean County Director of Consumer Affairs Ronald Heinzman, seated at left joins Ocean County Senior Services Director Maria Laface who is speaking to an audience of seniors about scamming during a forum held in Whiting. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  Heinzman and Wnek noted that victims often face pressure for immediate action and that deceitful actors create a sense of urgency, demanding that victims take quick action without allowing time for reflection. Common tactics include threats of arrest, deportation, license suspension or computer viruses to coerce immediate compliance.

  To complicate traceability, scammers insist on unconventional payment methods, including cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps or gift cards, and often require victims to provide sensitive information like gift card numbers.

  “A big issue is home improvement contractors. That is a big topic right now. Right now, all contractors have to be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. If not, it is a violation of our rules and regs and violations are heard in municipal court. It is a fourth-degree crime. We are moving over to a licensing phase for contractors as opposed to being registered by the state,” Heinzman said.

  He added, “we handle hundreds of hundreds of cases a year for home improvement. We just finished an automotive task force in Ocean County. We have 241 used car dealerships in Ocean County. We visited every one of them and I happy to report that 95% of them are doing the right thing for consumers. We have a few that we have to take some stronger measures with a little guidance.”

  Wnek noted that the County Department of Consumer Affairs compiled all its information into a large free book that provides tips and safeguards about subjects such as elder fraud, home contactors, health clubs, consumer insight contact information, new car lemon laws, charitable giving and identity theft.

  “This is your little Bible for scams,” Wnek said, noting also that if there is a suspected problem, “we will review your contracts at no charge.”

  Heinzman noted a recent investigation that involved a gas station in Lakehurst where a former employee had committed fraud. “He didn’t use a skimmer. He was taking photographs of the credit card while he was at the pump and then he used their information to make purchases. When you hand someone your card, you should get it right back.”

  Detective Jupinka advised residents that it was better to make purchases with a credit card rather than a debit card in certain scam situations.

  He warned of promises by strangers reaching out to you: “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.” In cases of phone solicitation, “just hang up the phone and if you do get caught up in a situation and you engage in a conversation with a scammer, slow yourself down and give yourself time to think about it.”

  He referenced a woman in the audience who shared her story of having been duped out of $7,000 and that she stopped to more carefully consider the situation and ceased the activity before she was bilked out of additional money.

  Sheriff Mastronardy said, “we solve a lot of different kinds of crimes within the Sheriff’s Office. We also have people on special assignment. What we do affects the safety of those in Ocean County.”

  Noonan noted that scammers are not only targeting the senior community. “This isn’t just about seniors, this hits everybody. People are embarrassed when they are scammed and they don’t know who to go to. Our speakers are on the front lines to help the seniors. A lot of (residents) aren’t aware of what Consumer Affairs are all about.”

  Commissioner Quinn said “whether it be scams or fraud, senior services do a great job. Judy and I go back 20 years and if she puts something together it is going to be successful. We have great professionals here to answer some of your questions.”

  Laface said her office deals with programs like “Meals on Wheels, Medical Alert buttons and all the programs that help our seniors remain independent. Because we are the first line of defense in some cases (of scams) and at times when we talk to them about other things they talk to us about odd phone calls or love interests on a computer. We can then identify potential fraud issues and if it is something relative to Ron’s department (consumer affairs), we will immediately bring it over to investigate. They do an excellent job of investigating.”

  IRS agent John Fuld reported in a recent release to The Manchester Times, that there was a nationwide increase of impersonation scams which are targeting older adults by pretending to be government officials, aiming to steal sensitive personal information and money. By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims.

  “Scammers often target seniors, attempting to steal personal information through phone calls, emails or text messages by pretending to be from the IRS or other agencies or businesses,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said.

  “Preventing these types of scams requires assistance from many different places. By partnering with other federal agencies and others in the tax community, we can reach more seniors and other taxpayers to help protect them against these terrible scams,” Werfel added.

Around 160 seniors from the Whiting section of Manchester came out to the Crestwood Village V Club House for a forum on how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of fraud and scamming. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

Scam Precautions And Reporting

  If an individual receives an unexpected call from someone alleging to be from the IRS, but they have not been notified by mail about any issues with their IRS account, they should hang up immediately. The call is likely from a scammer.

  Do not return the call using the number provided by the caller or the one displayed on their caller ID. If taxpayers are uncertain about the legitimacy of IRS communications, they can contact IRS customer service for verification at 800-829-1040, or for the hearing impaired, TTY/TDD 800-829-4059.

These situations include having an overdue tax bill, an unfiled tax return or missing employment tax deposit.

  If an individual has fallen victim to elder fraud, they can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The hotline operates Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, and services are available in English, Spanish, and other languages.