'Romance Fraud,' Fires From Downed Lines Reported: Glen Rock Police

GLEN ROCK, NJ — In the past week, three scams, including a "romance fraud," and brush fires caused by downed power lines on a highway were reported out of Glen Rock. The following information was summarized from records of the Glen Rock Police Department.

July 26: A Bergenfield landscaping service owner reported the theft of a company vehicle by a day laborer while working on Pinelynn Road. The complainant said the laborer took the vehicle, a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup truck, and never returned to the worksite. The truck was recovered by Pennsylvania State Police, following a crash in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, where the vehicle operator fled from the scene. The owner was unable to provide the name of the suspect, a homeless individual, whom, he said, he was trying to help by providing him with work. The detective bureau is investigating the incident in cooperation with Pennsylvania State Police, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said.

A man and woman, both 48, from Hawthorne were struck by a commercial van near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Diamond Bridge Avenue. The driver of the van remained on scene and helped with the investigation, which is still in progress. Glen Rock police responded, though it was later determined that the incident occurred on the Hawthorne side of the road. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Hawthorne Police Department at 973-427-1800, police said.

July 29: A Glen Rock resident reported a fraudulent check cashed against their account in the amount of $12,700. The check was made payable to an individual they are unfamiliar with. The bank was notified, and the detective bureau is reviewing the matter, police said.

A Glen Rock resident reported that they had been the victim of a "romance fraud." The victim recounted that, over the course of a year, they were involved in an online relationship through Facebook and WhatsApp. During the online exchanges, the victim agreed to provide approximately $30,000 to cover a family member's medical expense in a foreign country. A third party in the U.S. reportedly assisted in converting the funds to Bitcoin. As exchanges continued, the victim suspected this was a scam and contacted police. The detective bureau is reviewing the matter, police said.

July 30: High-tension power lines, reported down across Route 208 in the area of De Boer Drive, ignited brush fires at several locations alongside the highway, which was closed in both directions. A second power line also came down behind a De Boer Drive warehouse, requiring the closure of the NJ Transit Rail Service Main Line. Glen Rock police and fire responded, along with other emergency personnel. Operations continued until 2 p.m., police said.

July 31: A Glen Rock resident reported that $2,600 was fraudulently charged to their credit card. The complainant recounted that they had shipped a package through the U.S. Postal Service via the Glen Rock Post Office on July 28. They then received a text message, purportedly from the Postal Service, claiming that an additional fee of $1.99 was required. The victim clicked on the link and provided their credit card information to pay the additional fee, and then received an alert from their credit card company advising them that the transaction was fraudulent. The matter was referred to the detective bureau for review and will mostly likely be transferred to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for investigation, police said.