Bloomfield PD Warns of Phone Scam

Police warn that scammers posing as utility bill collectors are targeting Bloomfield residents. 

Bloomfield police said that on two separate occasions, April 19 and April 22, two Bloomfield residents received phone calls from people claiming to be employees of PSE&G.

The callers reportedly claimed to be from the “disconnect department.” Both calls were made by men who asked homeowners to make immediate payments to avoid having their utilities turned off or service interrupted.

In one incident, the caller gave a call back phone number for a supposed supervisor, so that the victim could arrange for direct payment.

In both cases the homeowners contacted PSE&G, using a reliable phone number, located on their monthly utility statement, not one provided by the callers.

PSE&G told victims the callers were not PSE&G employees, that they did not owe any money and that their utility service was not going to be interrupted or turned off.

Police said these scams have been perpetrated via house phones, cell phones, computer, e-mail and text messaging.

The Bloomfield Police Department encourages residents to report any suspicious activity they may be witness to or encounter. They stress that residents should use extreme caution when conducting business transactions over the telephone and should check with a reliable utility company representative before making any monetary transactions.

Police advise residents to not respond to these types of communication with personal information, such as social security numbers, birth dates, pin / pid numbers or any other type of account numbers unless you are absolutely sure you know who you are communicating with.