BRIDGEWATER POLICE
An Accredited Agency
Common Scams
The Bridgewater Police Department has provided a sample “Courtesy Notice” to supply to a bank or credit card company if someone other then yourself has opened an account in your name.
Click here to download: SAMPLE COURTESY NOTICE
For more information please follow the Identity Theft Quick Reference Guide.
Protect yourself and help keep the web a safer place for everyone.
Read up on some tips from the Department of Homeland Security.
IRS Scams
Recently the Bridgewater Police Department has seen an increase in the number of residents reporting that they have received telephone or e-mail communications from people claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS does not seek to collect back or overdue tax liabilities via the telephone, e-mail or social media. If you believe you have received a fraudulent IRS communication, please refer to this information from the IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/…/phone-scams-continue-to-be-a-serious-…
All IRS Scams attempts should be reported to the U.S. Treasury Department via this link
Credit Bureaus:
Equifax PO Box 74021 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 1-800-685-1111
TO REPORT FRAUD # 1-800-525-6285
Experian PO Box 949 Allen, TX 75013-0949 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union PO Box 390 Springfield, PA 19064 1-800-916-8800
TO REPORT FRAUD # 1-800-680-7289
If you have any checks stolen or bank accounts opened fraudulently, report it to the following companies:
National Check Fraud Service 1-843-571-2143
SCAN 1-800-262-7771
TeleCheck 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188
CheckRite 1-800-766-2748
CrossCheck 1-707-586-0551
Equifax Check Systems 1-800-526-5380
International Check Service 1-800-269-0271
Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline: 1-800-269-0271
Other Phone Scams
The Bridgewater Police Department would like to warn the residents and business owners of a possible phone scam being perpetrated where the caller demands money in lieu of an immediate arrest. The scammers are masking their phone numbers to appear as though the call is originating from a legitimate law enforcement agency. This is commonly referred to as “spoofing”. The caller tells the victims that there is a warrant for their arrest and that they can send money to avoid arrest.
The caller will tell their victims to buy rechargeable money cards, (Green Dot, Money Pak) scratch the back of the cards exposing the serial numbers and give the caller the serial numbers. Once the money has been sent there is little that can be done to retrieve the funds.
If you receive a call from a law enforcement agency that is threatening arrest and demanding money over the phone, hang-up immediately and contact your local police department or the agency that the caller is allegedly from. No legitimate government agency is going to threaten arrest unless money is paid to them over the phone, especially with the use of Green Dot or Money Pak cards.
