Linden Police say an 87-year-old woman was scammed out of $14,000 worth of pre-paid credit cards after receiving a phone call claiming her son was in jail.

The scam was revealed when her son showed up at her door and the woman asked her son how he was doing after "being in jail" according to NJ Advanced Media. They went to police to report the incident.

The woman, who was not identified by police, told police she received a call from "David Kelly of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office" who claimed her son was "currently in jail." She then spent cash and credit cards to purchase $14,000 worth of iTunes cards over several days. She was then told to read the activation instructions over the phone.

The Attorney General's office issued an alert about phone calls purporting to come from their office demanding payment.  “Don’t send money out of panic or fear. Take a moment to think through whether the person calling is really who he says he is," said acting director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs, noting that scammers sometimes use secrecy to prevent people from discussing the ploy.

Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of marketplace abuse, can file a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.

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