TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Police arrested a man they say deceived a senior resident after falsely claiming, over several phone calls on July 29, that his grandson had been in a car accident with a pregnant woman and needed cash for medical treatment.
Frederick Delacruz, 29, of the Bronx, N.Y., later arrived at the victim’s residence with a female and was handed $9,000 cash, said Police Chief Glenn Hooper in a statement.
The resident later learned his grandson was not involved in a motor vehicle accident, Hooper said.
Delacruz was arrested July 29 and is charged with third degree theft by deception, said Hooper. He’s due in court on Aug. 16, Hooper said while commending the patrol officers for their investigative work.
Tips for seniors to avoid scams
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs says senior citizens 60 and over are targeted more frequently by financial fraud and scams than any other age group.
“Today’s seniors are prime targets of fraudsters for several reasons, starting with their financial assets, the division said. “Members of their generation are most likely to have a substantial ‘nest egg,’ own their homes, or have excellent credit. Moreover, seniors are less likely to report a fraud, either because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been victimized.”
According to the division of consumer affairs, common scams may include:
• Pay up or else! Someone who claims to be calling from the IRS, a credit card company, or another agency says you, or your spouse, owes them money. If you don’t send cash or pay by credit card immediately you’ll be hauled into court, your credit will be ruined, and you might even be arrested!
• Help me Grandma! Your grandson calls. His voice may be muffled but his message is clear – he’s in big trouble! Either he’s been arrested, is short on the rent, or is stranded on vacation. He asks you to please send money but begs you not to tell his parents!
• Your new card is ready! Someone who claims to be calling on behalf of Medicare or Medicaid calls with questions about a claim or to replace your insurance card. But first you must provide personal information – data that can be used to file false claims in your name or steal your identity.
• It’s lights out for you! Someone purportedly employed by a utility company calls to say your bill is overdue and threatens to shut off service if you don’t send money immediately preferably in cash or a pre-paid debit card.
• Congratulations! You’re a Winner! You get a call announcing you’ve won a free vacation or a large cash prize! All you need to do to collect is to pay a prize tax, release fee, or other related expense.
• Your computer is sick! A “technical support representative” claiming to be from a computer company calls to warn you of a serious problem with your computer. The caller urges you to download a program, or give him access to your computer, to fix the problem. That disreputable person can then install spyware to steal personal information stored on your computer.
Still think you’re being scammed? Here are more tips from the division of consumer affairs:
