A costly phone scam was perpetrated on an unknowing caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient, Nutley PD reported.
Police said the victim received a call from someone claiming that the patient’s grandson was in jail and needed to be bailed out. The caller suggested that the victim buy pay pack cards at the local CVS and that they’d call back in an hour to process the payment.
Police said the victim bought the cards and returned to the home where they were again contacted by the scammer who told the victim to scratch off the activation numbers from the cards and to read them over the phone.
In this way, police said, a total of $2,020 was processed. Later, the caregiver told the patient’s daughter that they had paid for their son’s bail. Police said the daughter then called her son, only to learn he was fine and that the alleged incident had never happened.
When police tried to reach the scammer, they said they got an answering machine with a recorded message in French.
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Two out-of-towners were charged Monday in connection with a burglary to a local business owner’s vehicle parked on Centre St. on Oct. 15.
Eric Kristofferson, 26, of Oakridge, was charged with obstruction and Joseph Legra, 42, of Blairstown, who remains at large, is charged with the burglary, police said. Nutley PD also logged these recent reports:
Nov. 8
Police conducted a motor vehicle stop on River Road after spotting a vehicle traveling 52 mph in a 25 mph zone. After learning that the registered owner and driver was on the suspended list and had two outstanding warrants from Belleville, police arrested the driver, Jessica Ortiz, 27, of Belleville. She was released, pending a court date, after being issued a summons for driving while suspended.
Nov. 9
While monitoring traffic on Rt. 21, police said they observed a vehicle traveling at about 80 mph – in excess of the 55 mph allowed on the highway. After the driver failed to heed an order to stop, police pursued the vehicle as it merged north onto Rt. 20 into Paterson where two Clifton PD units and two State Police units converted on the vehicle, bringing it to a stop. The driver, Avelino Taveras, 47, of Newark, was charged with eluding police and was issued several motor vehicle summonses. He was released pending court dates.
Nov. 10
A motor vehicle stop on Franklin Ave. resulted in the arrest of Douglas Smith, 26, of Newark, for three outstanding warrants from Newark. Police said Smith was also issued summonses charging him with driving while suspended and maintenance of lamps. He was released to the custody of Newark PD on the warrants.
A Franklin Ave. business owner reported an attempted utility fraud. The owner told police they got a call from someone claiming to be a customer service representative for PSE&G saying that the owner had to pay $2,060.36 in full or his electrical service would be turned off. Police advised the owner that the call was fraudulent and contacted PSE&G about the incident.
Nov. 11
While on surveillance on a burglary detail, police said they observed a young man waiting in a vehicle as another man emerged from a backyard on Prospect St. After conducting a field interview, police arrested Rizwan Chaudhry, 22, of Nutley, for an outstanding warrant from Clifton. After posting bail, Chaudhry was released pending a court date.
Nov. 12
Detectives are investigating a burglary to a Franklin Ave. gas station. Police said the owner told them that when they opened for business, they found that someone had cut the chain to the kiosk and removed about 100 packs of cigarettes valued at $800.
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A River Road resident reported that someone had stolen his vehicle.
Nov. 13
Someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked on Centre St. and took a Garmin GPS priced at about $300. Police said the vehicle had no damage.
Nov. 14
Police responded to the train tracks between Nutley and Grant Aves. after getting a report about a suspicious party jumping fences and running down the tracks. At the site, police said officers found Anthony Alston, 52, of Newark, who reportedly told them that he was going to work but could not find the job site. Alston was arrested after police learned he had an outstanding warrant from Newark. He was turned over to Newark PD who released him pending a court appearance.
– Ron Leir
