Westfield Resident Scammed Out Of $435K After Instagram Post

Skip to main contentNew Providence-Berkeley Heights, NJCranford, NJScotch Plains-Fanwood, NJClark-Garwood, NJSpringfield, NJSummit, NJMillburn-Short Hills, NJWatchung-Green Brook, NJChatham, NJMaplewood, NJNew JerseyTop National NewsSee All CommunitiesWESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield police said on Tuesday that a resident was bilked out of $435,000 over the course of three months after someone contacted her on Instagram. Internet scams are becoming more frequent during the pandemic, officials have said. Police said that the Myrtle Avenue woman told them that in January, she was contacted on Instagram by a stranger who “offered her high return rates on her investment if she invested with his company.”Over three months, police said, the woman made several money transfers into various accounts provided by people who contacted her, pretending to be employees of the investment company. She eventually realized the matter was a scam and contacted police on April 5, but had already lost $435,000.Police are investigating. Recent scams have affected other New Jersey residentsAs similar scams ramp up via the internet and phone, police have warned residents not to give personal information to strangers over the internet or phone. For instance, a Summit resident was swindled out of $9,000 in December in a popular “Grandparent Scam,” a scam in…
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