Resident Tricked Into Wiring $17,800 In Fraud Scam In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ — Fraud, theft, forgery, shoplifting, and more was reported recently in Westfield.

Westfield Police Blotter – May 4 to May 10:

On May 6 at 10 a.m.: A resident of the 500 block of Summit Avenue was the victim of fraud. While trying to fix an issue with their computer, the victim was tricked into wiring $17,800 to someone pretending to be from their tech support.

On May 6 at 3:34 p.m.: A resident in the 300 block of Prospect Street reported theft of checks that were later fraudulently deposited into the suspect’s bank account. Upon further investigation, Jonathan Guato, 33, of Newark, was placed under arrest for forgery and related offenses, theft by deception, and theft by unlawful taking. Guato was subsequently processed at police headquarters and released on a summons.

On May 7 at 4:19 p.m.: Officers responded to a business in the area of 200 East North Avenue on a report of a shoplifting. Officers found the suspect, later identified as Malik Reed, 34, of Newark, at the Southside Train Station. Subsequently, Reed was arrested for shoplifting. Reed was taken to Westfield Police Headquarters, where he was processed and released on a summons.

On May 8 at 3 p.m.: A resident in the 500 block of Grove Street reported being a victim of identity theft. According to the victim, a person opened a Verizon Wireless account utilizing their personal information. The victim was made aware of this fraudulent activity by a monitoring service.

On May 10 at 8:24 p.m.: Luvens S. Vincent, 25, of Irvington, was stopped and placed under arrest during a motor vehicle stop at W. Broad Street and Rahway Avenue under the strength of a $150 traffic warrant out of the Newark Municipal Court. He was given a new court date and released from the scene.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.