Westfield Resident Scammed Out Of $435K After Instagram Post

Westfield NJ

13 April, 2021

1:17 PM

Description

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield police said on Tuesday that a resident was bilked out of $435,000 over the course of three months after someone contacted her on Instagram. Internet scams are becoming more frequent during the pandemic, officials have said. Police said that the Myrtle Avenue woman told them that in January, she was contacted on Instagram by a stranger who "offered her high return rates on her investment if she invested with his company." Over three months, police said, the woman made several money transfers into various accounts provided by people who contacted her, pretending to be employees of the investment company. She eventually realized the matter was a scam and contacted police on April 5, but had already lost $435,000. Police are investigating. Recent scams have affected other New Jersey residents As similar scams ramp up via the internet and phone, police have warned residents not to give personal information to strangers over the internet or phone. For instance, a Summit resident was swindled out of $9,000 in December in a popular "Grandparent Scam," a scam in which callers say they have a person's child or grandchild in custody and need money. And a Westfield resident was bilked out of $10,000 in a phone scam in February. READ MORE: Westfield Resident Bilked Out Of $10K In Phone Scam On April 26, Lifelong Westfield and the Westfield Police Department will present a webinar to help residents identify and avoid fraud and scams, many of which target senior citizens and are on the rise during the pandemic. To obtain the Zoom meeting information, attendees must register in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling 908-201-1287. Got news? Email [email protected]. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.