Sneaky scams that have hit New Jersey, according to you

Scams seem to be on the rise again throughout The Garden State. Not that they've never gone anywhere in the first place.

Especially during the holidays, scammers ramp up their tactics in hopes of getting you to take the bait. One of the most common ones today that especially cripples businesses is scam emails.

Most of us have probably seen them. They try to mimic official emails at the place of business hoping to trick you into downloading or visiting a site that'll compromise personal and financial information.

I've also been on the receiving end of scams via text messages. These scammers are ruthless sometimes which is why we all have to remain vigilant.

Before I share some of the scam stories that you shared with me when we talked about it during my Sunday morning show, I wanted to first show just how persistent those scam texts were for me.

Some of them are funny, but also scary at the same time.

Your Scam Stories

To be fair, those auto warranty messages haven't been sent in some time. Still, it's hard not to reflect back to when those were all over the place.

Aside from that, it's all a bit humorous, annoying, and scary that these scammers are so persistent. The worst part is, that their tricks work on some people.

It's like when you're fishing. All you need to do is fool one fish with the bait, and that's it. We all need to be aware and read between the lines to make sure we're not getting duped.

Speaking of getting duped, here are a few of the stories you shared with me during my Sunday show. And no, you weren't duped necessarily, but the scammer was surely trying to get you to take the bait.

Fake Log Cabin

This one dates back to before the internet was even a thing. For this scam, we need to go back to the 1960s.

Lenore in Burlington shared this story about an ad her mom saw in a comic book about a toy log cabin that was big enough to fit three to four kids inside it.

With Christmas two months away, she placed an order with the hopes the toy cabin would arrive well before Christmas. But Christmas came and went, and no toy log cabin ever arrived for the kids.

And for a while, there was no success in where this thing she paid good money for was. Finally, in February, a little cardboard log cabin tabletop display arrived instead of the advertised one big enough for three to four kids. A modern-day scam for its era.

Target Coupon

We're back to the digital age once again, and this one I'm sure many of you have experienced. If you love shopping at Target, then listen up.

Stan in Monroe received a coupon email for $100 off his entire purchase in celebration of the company's milestone anniversary. Horray for you, Stan.

Fortunately, he instantly noticed the whacky email address it was sent from and knew it was spam. Unfortunately, there never was a free $100 shopping spree in Stan's future.

Door-to-Door Car Wash

Another trip into the past with this one. The 1970s to be exact. That's when Pat from New Hope remembers a scammer coming to his door.

Pat was a young kid then and thought this one was for car washing, for what he could remember at least. He remembers being with his mom when someone knocked on the door.

They said they could wash the car for her but needed to be paid up-front before they could go back and get the equipment. Fortunately for Pat's mom, she knew better and politely declined the offer.

Whether or not it was for power washing a car, paying a door-to-door person up front with no equipment or credentials doesn't pass the smell test.

Police Department Needs Money

Thank you to Tara in Forked River for this one. A very official-sounding phone call from the police, and one that's been happening for decades.

It was someone who claimed to be a police sergeant and opened his conversation by saying he was going to get right to the point. He talked about the desperate need for funds and how the police wouldn't be able to protect its citizens without it.

The voice was serious and forceful, almost like someone you'd be afraid to say no to. Tara ultimately hung up on them and they never called back.

Unfortunately, this one is really scary because a lot of people would fall for it. Again, trust your instincts if something doesn't seem right.

Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.