For The 2nd Time, Man Lured To Secaucus In Catfishing Scheme For Sex With Teen

SECAUCUS, NJ — For the second time in four months, someone lured a man to Secaucus for the purpose of having sex with a fictional underage teenage girl, in what appears to be an ongoing "catfishing" scheme that uses Secaucus as the meet-up spot.

Catfishing is when someone creates a fake identity online to trick someone, or scam someone.

This past Friday, May 2, a 38-year-old Long Island man was arrested at the Secaucus Walmart by Secaucus Police and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Police say he intended to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl at the Walmart for the purpose of having sex.

Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said the man met the "teen" online, but the 14-year-old girl never existed. In reality, he was talking to someone, or multiple people, pretending to be a teen girl.

This is similar to when a 37-year-old Queens man was lured to the Osprey Cove apartment complex on Valentine's Day, to meet with who he thought was a 15-year-old girl.

Who is doing this online baiting of men and luring them to Secaucus? Do they live in Secaucus? Is it the same people in both instances? What app or website are they using?

The police chief declined to answer.

"They lured him there. No child was ever in danger and the incident was reported to us by a concerned citizen," said Miller of the May 2 arrest at Walmart. "The Secaucus Police Department will make arrests based on the evidence derived supported by probable cause, but does not support vigilante-type activity."

Man Catfished In Valentine's Day Online Dating Scheme In Secaucus (Feb. 2025)

In that incident, the Queens man was arrested just after midnight on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, at the Osprey Cove apartment complex on Meadowlands Parkway, and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, exhibiting obscene material to someone under 18 and criminal attempt to commit luring or enticing a child.

Secaucus Police it was "a couple of vigilantes" who purported online to be a 15-year-old girl. They chatted with the Queens man online and told him to come to Secaucus, where he "intended on meeting who he reasonably believed to be a 15-year-old female for sex," said police.

The people setting up these online stings have not been charged with a crime.