MCPO CAREs Team Participates in Mine Hill Day
Published on September 23, 2025
Members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit’s CAREs (Crimes Against Retired & Elderly) program participated in Mine Hill Day to raise awareness about how citizens can protect themselves against scammers. Held on September 20, 2025 at Firemen’s Field, the CAREs team sought to answer questions and educate residents about what they can do to recognize potential scams, and what common tactics fraudsters are using to target the 65+ population and retirees.
Since the creation of the CAREs program, AP Lopez and Det. Supervisor Thomas have conducted informative seminars around Morris County aimed at educating the public, and conducted statewide webinars for prosecutors and investigators.
The team have upcoming presentations scheduled at the Golden Age Club on Sept. 28 in Oak Ridge, the Morris Plains Community Center on Oct. 20, and the Morris Plains Community Center on Nov. 10.
Criminals typically try to invoke an emotional response in their victims. For example, claiming to be a grandchild in need of bail money or asking for personal information out-of-the-blue to rectify an alleged hacking. When in doubt, verify emergencies by hanging up and not clicking on any links contained in text messages. Be sure to reach out to loved ones directly via your saved contacts or companies using their official phone numbers.
Some of the most notable scams include:
- Spoof bank alerts and/or package tracking links, that direct users to malicious sites that steal the personal information you type in.
- Fake job offers/interviews.
- Telemarketing scams.
- Romance or friendship scams, seeking to get victims to wire money or “invest” in cryptocurrency.
AP Lopez and Det. Supervisor Thomas offered tips for how to avoid becoming a victim:
- Change the privacy settings on your social media accounts to be less public.
- If you receive a suspicious email or text message, don’t click on or download attachments.
- Never hold an ID or passport up to a web camera, even when asked.
- If someone is asking for payments in wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it is probably a scam.
- New Jersey does not have cash bail, so if someone claims to need money for bail, it is probably a scam.
Media inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to mknab@co.morris.nj.us.
Detective Supervisor Ryan Thomas and Assistant Prosecutor Christine Lopez at Mine Hill Day, September 20, 2025.