METUCHEN — Police are warning the public to be alert after two borough residents recently found themselves on the receiving end of phone scams.
One incident occurred around 7:12 p.m. Feb. 11, when elderly residents told police that they received a call from someone who claimed to be representing Wachovia Bank regarding an outstanding payment on an account. The caller said that if the outstanding payment was not received, a restraining order would be issued against the residents.
The victims, who said they never had a Wachovia account, said the unknown person asked for Social Security numbers. This is when the victims became suspicious and called the police.
Police Sgt. David Liantonio said residents should be wary of these types of calls.
“A bank would not use wording such as ‘restraining order,’ ” he said. “Also, banks would have information like Social Security numbers if the people had an account with them.”
The other incident occurred around 8:25 a.m. Feb. 9. A woman told police she received an urgent message from an unknown person saying that he was a legal-affairs officer in California and the call was in relation to the arrest of her husband.
The woman told police she called her husband and was not able to get in touch with him. She then called the person back and spoke to the alleged investigator, who told her if she didn’t wire money through Western Union, her husband would remain in jail. The woman wired an unknown amount of money.
Around 6 p.m., her husband came home. He had not been arrested.
The victim also told police that the person called back on Feb. 11, requesting more money.
Liantonio said it is important to note that police stations do not require people to wire money.
“If it’s bail money, we have people come to headquarters,” he said.