BARNEGAT, NJ — Police recovered $95,000 from a scam targeting a local resident after a quick response on Sunday.
A Barnegat resident reported to Patrolman Boyle on Sunday that he believed he had been scammed out of $95,000.
The resident said that on Oct. 30, while using his computer, a pop-up message claimed the device was infected with malware and urged him to call a phone number.
The resident called the number, which led to the person receiving the call gaining remote access to the resident’s computer and convincing him that money had been mistakenly deposited into his bank account.
The scammer instructed the resident to purchase a cashier’s check and send it through UPS to an address in Queens.
The resident didn’t realize it was a scam until Sunday, when he contacted Barnegat Police.
Patrolman Boyle and Detective Armstrong worked with a U.S. Postal Inspector and a UPS Area Security Manager, who assisted after hours.
Within a few hours Sunday evening, they located the check at a UPS facility in Queens.
It was recovered and returned to the resident, preventing a major financial loss.
Police reminded residents not to send large sums of money to anyone they don’t know or fully trust.
Police also advised residents never to pay bills or debts through bitcoin or gift cards.
