Police in Morris County are warning residents to be aware of scammers attempting to convince people to buy reloadable debit cards to pay off fictitious bills.
The Daily Record reports incidences of people being scammed have occurred in Hanover, Randolph, Madison and Hopatcong in recent months.
One man lost nearly $5,000 after receiving a phone call telling him to pay back taxes in the next 30 minutes or his wife would be arrested.
The callers have instructed people to buy a Green Dot MoneyPak card and give the caller the numbers printed on the back of the card. The cards are prepaid and, unlike credit cards, can't be traced, police say.
Police advises anyone who receives such a call to contact the state department of consumer affairs.
Copyright The Associated Press