The emotional grandparent scam and aggressive debt collection calls are common in the 862 area code. Scammers pretend a family member is in jail or claim you owe money to trick you into paying.
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A caller claims your grandchild has been in a serious car accident and is now in jail or the hospital. They demand thousands of dollars for bail, citing specific amounts like $6,000 or $9,000, and insist on secrecy, telling you not to talk to other family members. They use your panic to pressure you into sending money immediately through wire transfer, gift cards, or cash. Police departments and hospitals do not call relatives to demand immediate bail money or bill payments over the phone.
"My father got a call saying his grandson was in the hospital and had a bad accident and needed money."
Scammers posing as investigators from a "Garnishment Department" or law firm threaten you with being sued over a fake or long-expired debt, often for companies like "City Bank." They use your personal information like your birthday and the last four digits of your Social Security number to sound legitimate, claim your information "hit their desk this morning," get rude and threatening when you question the debt, and refuse to mail you a written debt validation notice. They use your personal details to scare you into paying money to make the threats stop. Legitimate debt collectors must provide a written validation notice within five days of first contacting you.
"...a different women stating that she is the supervisor and that my Info hit their desk this morning and if I dont pay I was gonna be taking to court. When I began questioning her she got rude and threatening to terminate the call."
A caller named "David Meyers" from the "Megger Million Golden Harvest Sweepstakes" tells you that you've won $8.5 million, a new 2025 Mercedes Benz, and other prizes in a contest you never entered. To collect your winnings, you must purchase a "$499 Green Dot Money Scratch Card" to pay for a "claimer's card." They use the gift card numbers to steal your money while you receive nothing. Real lotteries do not ask winners to pay fees upfront.
"got a call... saying his name was David Meyers... and that I won 8.5 million dollars, a new 2025 mercedes benz... I just have to purchase my claimer's card for $499.00 its a Green Dot Money Scratch Card."
Scammers send text messages and make calls pretending to be from banks like Bank of America or Citizens Bank, claiming your debit card has been locked or that a fraudulent transaction was detected. They urge you to click a suspicious link or call a number to verify your information, then ask you to provide your login, password, or a one-time security code. They use this information to access your real bank account and steal your money. Your bank will never send a text message asking you to click a link and enter your full account credentials.
"Pretending to be Bank of America and saying debit card has been blocked for fraud. Redirects you to call 562-666-3484 which is probably someone trying to get all your bank info."
Persistent callers target local New Jersey businesses, immediately asking to be transferred to the "IT Manager" using generic or fake company names like "Kimodi co" or "Comodo Security." They refuse to leave a message, become aggressive or hang up when you ask for company details, and call the same business repeatedly from different 862 numbers, sometimes multiple times a day even after being told to stop. They use access to your IT systems to install malware or steal business data. Legitimate business vendors identify themselves and respect your company's call screening policies.
"They call every day about three times a day. Told them that IT is no longer on site and to remove this number. Been going on for a year now. When I see the number, I just hang up on them."
Callers, sometimes using the name "Noah," contact residents about a "student loan forgiveness program," creating false urgency by claiming you will be dropped from the program if you don't call back by the end of the day. These calls often target people who don't even have student loans, promising immediate and total loan forgiveness in exchange for personal information like your Social Security Number or upfront fees. They use your personal information to steal your identity or take your money while providing no actual loan relief. The U.S. Department of Education does not make unsolicited calls with urgent threats.
"Noah calling in regards of a student loan forgiveness program. Saying that if I don't return the call by the end of the day, I will be out of the program. I'm not a student/never had a student loan."
Callers solicit donations claiming to represent organizations like the "Policemen's Benevolent Association" or the "NJ State Police," but the caller ID shows a generic number and the telemarketers cannot answer basic questions about their organization. They pressure you for an immediate donation over the phone via credit card and are vague when you ask how your donation will be used. They keep most or all of your donation while giving little to actual police causes. Many of these calls are from for-profit telemarketers who keep a significant percentage of your donation.
"The man said that he was calling on behalf of the Police Benevolent Society... I asked him why the call was only coming up as Newark, NJ, why it wasn't identifying the group he was calling from. He couldn't answer."
No, area code 862 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in New Jersey, United States. Area code 862 is a general purpose code that has been in service since December 29, 2001.
You're likely experiencing "Neighbor Spoofing." Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar numbers. If you live in or near New Jersey (Newark, Paterson, Clifton), or have a 862 phone number yourself, scammers know you're more likely to answer what appears to be a local call.
Other New Jersey area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: