$7K Fake Bank Scam Targeted Senior In Hackettstown: Police

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — A Hackettstown resident alerted police to a recent incident where a caller posing as a bank employee convinced her to buy $7,000 in gift cards, according to the Hackettstown Police Department.

The unidentified 63-year-old woman told police she received a phone call on an unspecified date from a person claiming to work for PNC Bank, who told her that her bank account was compromised, said Sgt. Darren Tynan on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the police department.

The person instructed the woman that she needed to buy gift cards to remedy the issue with her bank account, Tynan said.

She bought $7,000 in Best Buy and Target gift cards, furnishing the numbers and PIN numbers to the person on the phone, said Tynan.

Tynan used the story to caution residents that “gift cards are for gifts, not for payments.”

“If someone calls with urgent news or a convincing story and then pressures you to pay them by buying a gift card and then giving them the codes on the back of the card — stop,” he said. “It’s a scam.”

If a resident is confronted with this type of situation, they should file a report with the Federal Trade Commission here, Tynan said. That report should also include: the date and time of the call, the agency the person claimed to be from, the claim the person has made, the amount of money they requested and the payment method.

Tynan said a person filing a complaint with the FTC should also get the phone number of the caller, though it is possible the number is spoofed.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.