Crime & Safety

Green Brook Resident Foils Callers' Attempted Scam

Woman doesn't fall for report of kidnapped husband.

When a Lenox Avenue, Green Brook, resident received a phone call claiming to be holding her husband Vincent hostage after a motor vehicle accident, with a threat to kill him if some money wasn't sent, she didn't panic.

Instead, she told the voice on the other end of the line calling at about noon on Feb. 7 that she just needed moment to get her bank information together.

That cool-headedness bought her enough time to tell her son what was happening—and for him to call Vincent and verify he was not in any trouble.

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According to Green Brook Police, the number has been a source of many such phony calls. Investigators say the scenario is always the same: the phone rings, and when answered, a voice on the other end says your husband, wife, son or daughter has been in an accident, and was taken at gunpoint.

Then comes the kicker: the caller threatens to shot your loved one unless you send money via Western Union right away.

Find out what's happening in Watchung-Green Brookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Though the Lenox Avenue resident was reassured her husband was OK, she did tell police she was concerned the caller may have, in fact, misdialed but still actually have someone hostage.

Police obtained the caller ID information from the resident (a Chicago area code was reported) and a computer check found numerous reports of similar calls from the same number.

The resident was eventually convinced there wasn't anyone actually under threat. 


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