New Jersey Residents Scammed Out of $54,000 in Separate Bitcoin and Bank Impersonation Schemes

Two New Jersey residents have fallen victim to separate scams, losing a total of $54,000. In one case, a Somerset resident's computer was hijacked by an unknown person while she was helping her family member with suspected account fraud. The scammer convinced her to transfer $29,500 into a Bitcoin account, and another $12,000 in the same scheme.

In a separate incident, someone posing as the victim's bank warned about fake fraudulent transactions and instructed her to withdraw $24,500. She was then told to hand over the cash to a transportation service that would hold it as evidence, which she did before realizing it was a scam.

The Franklin Township police have issued a warning to residents, advising them to call their bank directly if they receive urgent money warnings and not to buy cryptocurrency or hand over cash based on unsolicited calls or texts. The victims lost $24,500 in the first case and $29,500 in the second.