Bloomfield resident scammed out of $35,000 in cash drop

💲Somerset man accused of scamming Bloomfield resident out of $35,000

💲Suspect allegedly posed as bank and FTC rep in cash handoff scheme

⚖️Same man charged in May for $50K computer scam targeting elderly victim

BLOOMFIELD — A man who police say tried to scam a resident out of $35,000 is no stranger to the scamming game.

The Bloomfield resident said someone claiming to be from Capital One Bank called and told them to bring cash to a certain location where they would meet a representative from the Federal Trade Commission. The resident handed over the cash after the rep arrived in a vehicle. The age of the resident was not disclosed.

Repeat scammer tied to earlier $50,000 computer fraud

Using surveillance footage, detectives identified the suspect as Mahir Patel, 26, of Somerset. He turned himself in on a charge of theft by deception.

Patel was charged by Egg Harbor Township police in May after an older man was scammed out of $50,000 to fix his computer. When Patel tried to get another $103,000 to "resolve a debt related to a hacked bank account," the victim went to police.

"Members of the public are tageted are targeted by scams almost daily," Bloomfield police Chief George Ricci said in a statement. "Please do not respond to any suspicious phone calls or text messages and never provide financial information over the phone unless to a trusted source."

Other ways to avoid scams (Morris County Prosecutor's Office)

• Spoof bank alerts and/or package tracking links, that direct users to malicious sites that steal the personal information you type in.
• Fake job offers/interviews.
• Telemarketing scams.
• Romance or friendship scams, seeking to get victims to wire money or “invest” in cryptocurrency.
• Change the privacy settings on your social media accounts to be less public.
• If you receive a suspicious email or text message, don’t click on or download attachments.
• Never hold an ID or passport up to a web camera, even when asked.
• If someone is asking for payments in wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it is probably a scam.
• New Jersey does not have cash bail, so if someone claims to need money for bail, it is probably a scam.

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