Township man falls for bank loan scam

Bloomfield Township police are warning residents to be wary of potential financial scams after a man on Wednesday, September 11, was bilked out of $500 through a phony bank loan.

Police said the victim, a resident of the township, told officers he realized he was a victim of an online scam that stemmed from an email he received that appeared to be from US Bank informing him he was approved for a loan. The email directed the victim to purchase a $500 gift card from Walmart and forward the PIN number to the "loan manager" listed on the email.

The victim didn't realize the loan was a ruse to trick him out of money until after he emailed his information to the "loan manager."

"The Bloomfield Township Police Department strongly reminds people to be suspicious of any emails or phone calls from individuals asking you to purchase gift cards as payment for services you don't solicit," Bloomfield Police Lt. Paul Schwab said.