Welcome
*This is the Middlesex County New Jersey Crime Stoppers program*
"Lock it or lose it" and the "Tik-Tok Challenge"
There are persons that go around looking for vehicles where the owners leave the keys or key fobs in them. The persons who steal these vehicles walk up to the car or truck and pull the door handle. If the fob is in the car the door will open and they simply get in the car and drive away.
Please keep your car's locked and the keys or key fobs in the house far enough away where the signal won't reach the vehicle. This goes for leaving the keys or fobs in unlocked garages.
The "Tik-Tok Challenge" is a social media challenge showing how you can steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles which have ignition keys, by using a USB Flash Drive or a USB cable.
To prevent this from happening you should always lock your car, park in a well lit area, use a steering wheel lock or have a vehicle kill switch or alarm installed. Always call the police if you see suspicious persons in your neighborhood.
The Fentanyl Crisis
Fentanyl, which is regularly being mixed with Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and other illegal drugs, is a leading cause of overdose deaths. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017 Fentanyl was involved in 71 percent of all unintentional overdose deaths.
Crime Stoppers has joined the fight against those who knowingly mix and /or sell illegal drugs which contain Fentanyl. If you know someone who is involved with the preparation and/or sale of illegal street drugs mixed with the deadly drug Fentanyl, Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County is seeking that information. The program will allow you to remain anonymous and will pay you a reward should your information lead to an arrest. This problem is everyone’s fight as its deadly consequences has no societal boundaries. Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County along with federal, state, county and local law enforcement partners is asking the community for help.
- Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
- Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
- Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
- Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
- Write down the phone number and any details
They impersonate your loved one convincingly
It’s surprisingly easy for a scam artist to impersonate someone. Social networking sites make it easier than ever to sleuth out personal and family information. Scammers also could hack into the e-mail account of someone you know. To make their story seem legitimate, they may involve another crook who claims to be an authority figure, like a lawyer or police officer.
They play on your emotions.
Scammers are banking on your love and concern to outweigh your skepticism. In one version of this scam, con artists impersonate grandchildren in distress to trick concerned grandparents into sending money. Sometimes, this is called a “Grandparent Scam.”
They swear you to secrecy.
Con artists may insist that you keep their request for money confidential – to keep you from checking out their story and identifying them as imposter's. Victims of this scam often don’t realize they’ve been tricked until days later, when they speak to their actual family member or friend who knows nothing about the “emergency.” By then, the money they sent can't be recovered.
Remember, if you believe you are being scammed or have been scammed or get a call, check with relatives first even though they tell you not too and call your local police as soon as possible.