CLINTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – The Clinton Township Police have received reports of local businesses being scammed via internet and phone sales.
Scammers are placing orders for high ticket items and paying over the telephone or via internet, using credit card information that has been stolen from another individual. The charge will go through, and everything appears legitimate, until the victim realizes their credit card has been used fraudulently and disputes the charge. At that time, the charge is reversed, and the business will bear the loss, police said.
Often, the person picking up the items is not involved in the scam, but an individual who responded to a job posting on Facebook or other social media, and unaware that he or she is involved in a crime, police said.
“Business owners, please be leery when taking telephone orders and online orders for merchandise or services. Please make sure to utilize a system of checks and balances for these transactions, such as making sure the party picking up the items purchased has a valid ID, that matches the information of the party who placed the order, and do not allow third party pick-ups,” police said.
If you are unsure, obtain a copy of the driver’s license of the individual picking up the items, and notify the police department, before the transaction is completed, so we can verify it is a legitimate ID, police said.
“In most of these cases, the victims have told responding officers they knew something was off, or something did not feel right, but they completed the transaction anyway…we would like to encourage business owners, and members of the public, to “go with your gut,” police said.
“We understand that times are tough, and most everyone is struggling right now, but if something seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t!,” police said.
