Police: Galloway, NJ, Woman Charged in $360,000 Elder Fraud Scheme

A Galloway Township woman has been charged for her role in an alleged scam that targeted elderly people in several states and involved hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Back on the morning of June 14th, officers with the Galloway Township Police Department conducted a search warrant at a home on Pitney Road in regard to a multi-state elder fraud investigation.

Authorities say they were made aware of a potential scam involving the elderly after a jurisdiction in Texas reported an older person had sent a large amount of money to an address in Galloway Township.

The investigation led to the discovery of multiple victims in multiple states.

Police say they were able to locate about $360,000 in cash at the home, which they say was from the scam.

Michelle Mendonca of Galloway was arrested and charged with second-degree theft by deception, second-degree money laundering, and numerous other charges.

According to authorities, some of the victims in this scheme lost their entire savings.

The Galloway Township Police Department would like to remind all of our residents, especially the elderly, to be very cautious when solicited to send money over the phone or the internet. State agencies such as the IRS will never solicit monetary payments over the phone or by email and will never ask for payments to be made in cash. As always, if you receive a call and think it is potentially a scam, ask for contact information or a call back number and contact the police.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.