BARNEGAT – Township police are warning residents about a scam in which criminals pose as bank fraud investigators and arrange for in-person pickup of victims’ debit cards.
Authorities said New Jersey residents have reported receiving phone calls from scammers who use “spoofed” phone numbers that appear to come from legitimate bank fraud departments.
During the calls, the impostors often cite real, recent transactions from the victim’s account to build credibility, then falsely claim additional unauthorized charges from out of state have been detected.
After convincing the victim that the account has been compromised, the caller instructs them to turn over their debit card to a courier who will supposedly deliver it to the bank’s fraud department. Once the card is surrendered, it is used to make fraudulent purchases, police said.
Police emphasized that legitimate financial institutions do not operate this way.
Banks will never send couriers to collect debit cards, nor will they ask customers to hand over cards or sensitive banking information in person or over the phone, authorities said.
Residents are urged to avoid sharing personal or financial information, refuse to surrender debit cards to anyone, and hang up immediately if they receive such a call. Anyone with concerns about account activity should contact their bank directly using the phone number printed on the back of their card.
Anyone who believes they were targeted or victimized by the scam is asked to contact their local police department.
