Scam Artist Preys on Another Covered Bridge Resident

Last month, the police urged residents to beware of a recurrent phone scam that targeted senior citizens and conned them into wiring money internationally. This month, the con artists are at it again - but this time they're within the country, according to police.

On Feb. 8, Patrolman Kevin McIntosh of the Manalapan Police Department responded to Covered Bridge, a +55 community, for a complaint about a possible scam.

The resident told McIntosh that a man had been calling her repeatedly over the past couple of weeks and identifying himself as Alex Jordan, an employee of the resident's health insurer. Jordan told the woman that the insurance company  needed to change the number on her card and that the bank and account number connected with her social security check was required.

After calling every day for two weeks, the Covered Bridge resident finally conceded and divulged her bank and account number to Jordan. The resident immediately had second thoughts and decided to call her bank and have her account frozen.

McIntosh called the telephone number Jordan gave the woman as a contact and it connected to an adult entertinment hot line. Police also contacted the woman's health insurance agency who said that no card changes were being made, and if they ever were correspondence would be handled by mail.

Luckily for the victim of the phone scam, her account was frozen before any money was stolen out of her account.

The Manalapan Police Department want to remind residents to verify the authenticity of any person who asks for personal information, especially bank account and social security numbers, and to never give out such information over a telephone.