Full Notification

The purpose of this letter is to make you aware of the recent reporting of Emergency and Ransom telephone scams occurring throughout our area. In these particular incidents, telephone calls are being made by a Spanish speaking male and advising residents that family members are being held against their will until a monetary ransom is paid.

Specifically, on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at approximately 12 noon within the community of Saddle Brook, a woman working at a business on Fifth Street received a telephone call on her cellular phone from a Spanish speaking male reporting that her son was involved in a car accident in Florida and will be detained until a monetary ransom of $3,500. be given for his release. The caller demanded that the woman give him her bank’s account number to withdraw the funds. While continuing to speak with the caller, the resident had a co-worker attempt to call her son’s cellular number and which was answered by the son in Florida. The son verified he was not involved in any accident and was not being held against his will by anyone. A police investigation is ongoing regarding the fraudulent call and it has been verified that the caller ID number of the call originated from a Puerto Rico telephone area code exchange of (787) and that numerous recent scams of similar reported incidents are being reported throughout Bergen County within the last 2 days.

Due to the number of recent reports, and its general similarity to other reported incidents commonly referred to as the “Family Member Emergency and/or Grandparent Scam” which is summarized as follows:

• Caller claims to be an authority or representative of a family member

• Reports the family member is in urgent trouble/emergency, i.e arrest, accident, injury, etc.

• Usually uses real family name examples and insist “to act immediately and don’t tell”

• Requests money wired through Western Union or similar service

• Victims later find family members not in trouble, money gone and no follow-up possible


Residents are advised to “Always verify through the actual family member or other additional and trusted sources” of any emergency being told about. If you are unable to contact or verify the safety of your family member, notify your local police department immediately for appropriate assistance and investigation BEFORE giving financial information or electronically sending money via Western Union.