East Brunswick Police Department Issues Scam Alert, Warns of False Online Threats

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Several residents have reported receiving suspicious emails from unknown individuals containing threatening messages. The emails include the recipient's name, address, phone number, and a PDF attachment containing a generic "street view" photo of the person's residence. According to the East Brunswick Police Department, the scammer claims that a spyware application was remotely installed onto devices running Windows, iOS, and Android, allowing them to access their device, including all emails, contacts, and social media accounts. The scammers threaten to release “embarrassing things” if the recipient does not pay them a specific amount of money in Bitcoin. “No matter the reason they give, NEVER send money to someone you don’t know or have never met in person, who pressures you to pay immediately, or who says this is the only way to pay. Only scammers ask you to do those things,” say police. “Additionally, do not give personal information over the phone, via text, by mail, or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.” The EBPD advises that, if you receive a phone call, text message, or email from an individual making a request of this nature,  call the East Brunswick Police Department directly at (732) 390-6900 to file a report. Reports of this nature can also be reported via the Online Report System at https://www.eastbrunswick.org/onlinereporting . Reports can also be filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), run by the FBI, the lead federal agency investigating cybercrime. Visit ic3.gov to file a complaint with IC3 or learn about the latest and most harmful cyber threats and scams.

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