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New Jersey Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Right to Sue

Independently fact-checkedBy Recording Law Editorial Team19 min read

Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 3, 2026). · 19 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content

New Jersey Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Right to Sue

New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act gives some scam victims a strong private remedy, but only on two conditions written into the statute. You must have suffered an "ascertainable loss of moneys or property," and the loss must come from a practice the act makes unlawful, such as deception or fraud "in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate." When both are met, the text of N.J.S.A. 56:8-19 says the court "shall" award three times the damages, plus reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and costs of suit.

For in-state help, scam complaints go to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, which says it reviews each complaint and may try to mediate some of them informally. Suspected exploitation of a vulnerable adult goes to Adult Protective Services at (855) 835-5277. The practical limit is the same as everywhere: a lawsuit needs a defendant you can identify and reach, and an anonymous or overseas scammer usually is not one.

Information last verified on October 2, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Statute text note: The New Jersey statute quotes on this page come from our law library's copy of the statutes, retrieved August 1, 2026. The Legislature's website could not be reached on October 2, 2026 to re-confirm them, so check the official text, or ask a lawyer, before relying on a quote.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers New Jersey state law: the Consumer Fraud Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 and following), New Jersey complaint offices, New Jersey protections for older and vulnerable adults, the state's telemarketing rules, theft by deception, and New Jersey courts for smaller claims. Federal refund and reporting rights are summarized briefly and covered in depth on our national guides. Out of scope: criminal defense, and the law of other states (if the scammer or business is elsewhere, that state's law may also matter).

First steps if you were scammed in New Jersey

Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company or crypto exchange that moved your money right away. That company is usually the only one that can stop or reverse a payment, and your federal rights depend on how you paid. Our guide on how to get money back after a scam walks through each payment method, and the Zelle and payment app guide covers app transfers. If the bank said no, see what to do when a bank refuses a scam refund.

Then report the scam. Most scams go to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and online crime to the FBI's IC3; our where to report a scam guide lists every federal channel. The New Jersey offices below are in addition to those, not instead of them. If the scammer got your Social Security number, bank login or other personal details, also read what to do when a scammer has your information.

Where to report a scam in New Jersey

What happenedNew Jersey officeWhat it does with your report
A business cheated or scammed you, or you suspect another form of consumer abuseDivision of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection (online complaint)Staff review each complaint to decide whether it alleges a violation of consumer protection law and whether to refer it within the Division or to another agency. It may open an investigation or try to mediate informally.
A problem with a bank, insurer or other provider the state Department of Banking and Insurance regulatesDepartment of Banking and Insurance, Consumer Inquiry and Response Center (online complaint)Takes complaints about the providers it regulates. It asks you to file with the agency that regulates the provider your complaint is about.
An older or vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected or financially exploitedNew Jersey Adult Protective Services, (855) 835-5277Reports go to the APS provider in the adult's county of residence. Services are voluntary unless a court orders them.

The Division of Consumer Affairs describes its complaint handling this way in a March 2023 release from the Attorney General's office: "Staff review each complaint to determine whether it alleges a violation of our consumer protection laws, and whether it should be referred to a unit within OCP, another part of the Division, or another agency." The same release says the office "may open a formal investigation" and "also may attempt to informally mediate a resolution between a consumer and a merchant without the need for a formal filing."

That is useful, but be realistic. A complaint is a report to a regulator, not a lawsuit on your behalf, and mediation depends on there being a real merchant on the other side. If you want your money back, the payment company and, against a business you can identify, the Consumer Fraud Act are the routes that can produce it.

The Department of Banking and Insurance's consumer page says its "most convenient way is filing an ONLINE COMPLAINT," and that "you should file it with the agency that regulates the provider that gave rise to your complaint or inquiry."

New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act: can you sue?

Sometimes, and when you can, the remedy is strong. The private right of action is in N.J.S.A. 56:8-19:

"Any person who suffers any ascertainable loss of moneys or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment by another person of any method, act, or practice declared unlawful under this act or the act hereby amended and supplemented may bring an action or assert a counterclaim therefor in any court of competent jurisdiction."

Three things in that sentence decide whether you can use it.

  1. You need a loss. The statute requires an "ascertainable loss of moneys or property." Money you paid a scammer is the obvious example. Being targeted by a scam that you spotted in time, or that cost you nothing, does not meet this condition.
  2. The loss must be caused by an unlawful practice. The words "as a result of" link your loss to the practice.
  3. The practice must be one the act declares unlawful. That is mainly section 56:8-2, quoted below.

The section uses the word "person," not "consumer," and the act defines "person" broadly to include any natural person as well as businesses (section 56:8-1(d)). The limit comes from section 56:8-2, which declares unlawful:

"The act, use or employment by any person of any commercial practice that is unconscionable or abusive, deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, or the knowing, concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with intent that others rely upon such concealment, suppression or omission, in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate, or with the subsequent performance of such person as aforesaid, whether or not any person has in fact been misled, deceived or damaged thereby, is declared to be an unlawful practice"

The phrase "in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate" matters. "Merchandise" is defined broadly to include "any objects, wares, goods, commodities, services or anything offered, directly or indirectly to the public for sale" (section 56:8-1(c)). A fake product, a bogus repair, a phony subscription or a sham investment offered for sale is the kind of situation the words describe. A pure impersonation scam, where someone posing as a relative or a government agent simply asked you to send money, involved no sale, and it may not fit. How New Jersey courts draw that line is a question for a lawyer; this page does not predict it.

The "whether or not any person has in fact been misled" clause describes what counts as a violation (which matters for state enforcement). For your own private lawsuit, section 56:8-19 still requires your ascertainable loss "as a result of" the practice.

What you can recover

The second and third sentences of section 56:8-19 set the remedy:

"In any action under this section the court shall, in addition to any other appropriate legal or equitable relief, award threefold the damages sustained by any person in interest. In all actions under this section, including those brought by the Attorney General, the court shall also award reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and reasonable costs of suit."

Note the word "shall." The section's text directs the court to award threefold the damages sustained; no separate finding that the defendant acted knowingly or intentionally is written into it. How courts apply the fee sentence in a given case (for example, when a claim only partly succeeds) is beyond what this page can tell you; a New Jersey lawyer can explain it for your facts.

Notice to the Attorney General

The text of section 56:8-19 does not include a step requiring a demand letter before you sue. What the act does require, in section 56:8-20, is that any party asserting a Consumer Fraud Act claim, counterclaim or defense email a copy of the pleading to a dedicated Attorney General address "within 24 hours after the filing of such pleading or document with the court." The Attorney General may then ask the court to intervene.

The deadline

The research behind this page did not confirm which limitations period New Jersey courts apply to a Consumer Fraud Act claim or when the clock starts, so this page does not state one. New Jersey's general civil deadline is discussed in the suing section below. Do not wait: talk to a lawyer promptly if you are considering a claim.

The honest limit

A Consumer Fraud Act case needs a defendant you can identify, serve and collect from. That can work against a New Jersey business, a contractor or a seller with a real address and assets. It usually does not work against an anonymous scammer who called from a spoofed number, used a fake identity or moved your money overseas, and a court judgment does not help if nobody can be found to pay it. Our guide on when a lawyer helps after a scam explains how to tell the difference.

Protections for older adults in New Jersey

Report to Adult Protective Services. New Jersey's APS flyer gives one statewide number: "TOLL-FREE NUMBER (855) TELL APS | (855) 835-5277." Reports "are made directly to APS provider in the vulnerable adult's county of residence," and "Services are voluntary unless court ordered."

an older woman holding a phone handset away from her ear, skeptical of the caller

Who must report. Under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-409(a)(1), "A health care professional, law enforcement officer, firefighter, paramedic or emergency medical technician who has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation shall report the information to the county adult protective services provider." Under subsection (a)(2), any other person with reasonable cause "may report." Family members and neighbors are not on that section's list of people who must report, but they may. A person who reports is immune from civil and criminal liability arising from the report "unless the person acts in bad faith or with malicious purpose" (subsection (c)).

Securities firms can delay a payout. New Jersey law lets a broker-dealer or investment adviser pause a transaction or disbursement for an "eligible adult," defined to include a person 65 years of age or older. Under N.J.S.A. 49:3-88, the firm may delay if, after starting an internal review, it reasonably believes the requested transaction or disbursement may result in financial exploitation. It must notify the people authorized on the account (unless they are suspected of the exploitation) and notify the state's securities bureau and the county APS provider, in each case "in no event more than two business days" after the delay begins. The delay generally expires after "15 business days," or up to "25 business days" if the bureau or county APS asks for an extension, and a court can extend it further.

This rule covers brokerage and investment advisory accounts. If you are worried about a parent's investment account, telling the firm directly that you suspect a scam can help it act. The research behind this page did not locate a parallel New Jersey hold rule for bank accounts, so this page does not describe one.

Higher penalties in state enforcement. Under N.J.S.A. 56:8-14.3, a Consumer Fraud Act violator faces an additional penalty of up to $10,000 if the violation caused a "senior citizen" (60 or older) or a person with a disability pecuniary injury and the violator knew or should have known the victim's status, and up to $30,000 if the violation was part of a scheme directed at seniors or people with disabilities. These are civil penalties paid to the State Treasurer for the Consumer Fraud Education Fund (section 56:8-14.3(b)). They are not money the victim receives.

For fraud against anyone 60 or older, the federal DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) can also help you report. Our elder fraud guide covers warning signs and federal routes.

New Jersey scam laws on the books

Theft by deception is a crime

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4, "A person is guilty of theft if he purposely obtains property of another by deception." Deceiving includes creating or reinforcing a false impression, preventing someone from getting information that would affect their judgment of a transaction, and failing to correct a false impression the deceiver created.

The grade of the crime depends on the amount (N.J.S.A. 2C:20-2(b)). Theft is a second-degree crime when the amount involved is $75,000 or more, a third-degree crime when it exceeds $500 but is less than $75,000, a fourth-degree crime when it is at least $200 but does not exceed $500, and a disorderly persons offense when it is less than $200. Amounts taken "pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, whether from the same person or several persons, may be aggregated" to set the grade. A criminal case is brought by prosecutors, not by you; report to local police so the theft is on record.

Telemarketing calls and caller ID spoofing

New Jersey's No Telemarketing Call List law sets rules for telemarketers. Under N.J.S.A. 56:8-128:

  • A telemarketer must, "within the first 30 seconds of the call," accurately identify its name, the name and telephone number of the person it is calling for, and the purpose of the call. A violation of that rule is a disorderly persons offense.
  • A telemarketer may not make an unsolicited sales call "between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., local time, at the customer's location."
  • A telemarketer may not intentionally block caller ID or use a method "which displays a telephone number or name not associated with the telemarketer or intentionally designed to misrepresent the telemarketer's identity."

These rules bind telemarketers making sales calls. A criminal impersonator will ignore them, but a caller who hides its identity, spoofs a number or calls late at night is showing the signs the law forbids. For impostor calls, see our guides on government impersonation scams and phishing, smishing and vishing.

Crypto ATMs (virtual currency kiosks)

New Jersey lawmakers have introduced bills on crypto kiosks, including S2957, the proposed Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act, which was pending in committee at our last check. We could not confirm that any kiosk bill has become law, so this page does not describe kiosk limits for New Jersey. If you already paid someone through a crypto ATM, our crypto and investment scams guide explains what can still be done.

Suing a scammer or a business in New Jersey

Small claims and the Special Civil Part. The New Jersey Courts say: "You can sue for up to $5,000 in small claims court." For larger amounts, "Special Civil is limited to cases in which the demand is $20,000 or less."

Deadlines. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1 sets a six-year limit for many civil claims, including actions "for any tortious injury to the rights of another not stated in N.J.S.2A:14-2 and N.J.S.2A:14-3" and contract claims, measured from when the cause of action "accrued." Whether that period governs your fraud or Consumer Fraud Act claim, and when your claim accrued, are questions for a New Jersey lawyer; the research behind this page did not confirm them. Our New Jersey statute of limitations guide covers other civil deadlines.

Who you can actually reach. Lawsuits work against people and businesses with a name, an address and assets. A scammer who hid behind a fake identity, a spoofed caller ID or an overseas account is usually not reachable through a New Jersey court. In those cases the payment company, a fast report to law enforcement, and protecting your identity are where your effort pays off. If you were recruited to move money for someone, read our money mule and fake check scams guide before you do anything else.

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your payment company, the New Jersey office named above, or a lawyer licensed in New Jersey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue a scammer under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act?

Possibly, if you suffered an ascertainable loss of money or property as a result of a practice the act makes unlawful, which section 56:8-2 ties to the sale or advertisement of merchandise or real estate. You also need a defendant you can identify and serve; an anonymous or overseas scammer usually is not reachable through a New Jersey court.

Does the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act award triple damages?

The text of N.J.S.A. 56:8-19 says that in an action under the section the court shall award threefold the damages sustained. The private claim still requires an ascertainable loss caused by an unlawful practice.

Does the Consumer Fraud Act pay attorney's fees?

Section 56:8-19 says the court shall also award reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and reasonable costs of suit in all actions under the section. The New Jersey Supreme Court has held that a plaintiff who proves the defendant committed an unlawful practice can recover those fees and costs even without recovering treble damages, but only on a claim of ascertainable loss able to survive summary judgment (Weinberg v. Sprint Corp., 2002, building on Cox v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 1994). A New Jersey lawyer can explain how courts apply that to your case.

Do I have to send a demand letter before suing under the Consumer Fraud Act?

The text of section 56:8-19 does not include a pre-suit demand step. Section 56:8-20 does require you to email a copy of your pleading to the Attorney General within 24 hours after filing it.

Where do I report a scam in New Jersey?

File an online complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The Division reviews each complaint and may refer it, investigate, or try to mediate informally.

Who do I call if an elderly person in New Jersey is being scammed?

Call New Jersey Adult Protective Services at (855) 835-5277; reports go to the APS provider in the adult's county. The DOJ Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) also helps with fraud against anyone 60 or older.

Can a New Jersey brokerage freeze a payout if it suspects elder fraud?

A broker-dealer or investment adviser may delay a transaction or disbursement for a person 65 or older under N.J.S.A. 49:3-88. The delay generally expires after 15 business days, or up to 25 if the state securities bureau or county APS asks, unless a court extends it.

Does New Jersey have a crypto ATM law?

Kiosk bills, including S2957, the proposed Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act, were pending at our last check, and we could not confirm that one has become law. Our crypto and investment scams guide covers what to do after a crypto ATM payment.

What is the small claims limit in New Jersey?

Up to $5,000 in small claims court. The Special Civil Part hears cases with a demand of $20,000 or less, according to the New Jersey Courts.

Updates

Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources

Sources and References

  1. N.J.S.A. 56:8-19, Action by injured person; recovery of damages, costs (Consumer Fraud Act)(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  2. N.J.S.A. 56:8-2, Fraud in connection with sale or advertisement of merchandise or real estate as unlawful practice(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  3. New Jersey Attorney General, National Consumer Protection Week release on Division of Consumer Affairs complaints (Mar. 6, 2023)(njoag.gov).gov
  4. New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Consumer complaints(njconsumeraffairs.gov).gov
  5. New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Consumer Inquiry and Response Center(nj.gov).gov
  6. New Jersey Adult Protective Services flyer(nj.gov).gov
  7. N.J.S.A. 56:8-1, Consumer Fraud Act definitions(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  8. N.J.S.A. 56:8-20, Notice to Attorney General of action by injured person(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  9. N.J.S.A. 52:27D-409, Report of suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation of a vulnerable adult(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  10. N.J.S.A. 49:3-88, Delay of transaction or disbursement (eligible adults)(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  11. N.J.S.A. 56:8-14.3, Additional penalties (senior citizens and persons with disabilities)(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  12. N.J.S.A. 56:8-14.2, Definitions (senior citizen, pecuniary injury)(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  13. DOJ Office for Victims of Crime, National Elder Fraud Hotline(ovc.ojp.gov).gov
  14. N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4, Theft by deception(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  15. N.J.S.A. 2C:20-2, Consolidation and grading of theft offenses(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  16. N.J.S.A. 56:8-128, Requirements relative to telemarketing sales calls(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
  17. New Jersey Courts, What is small claims court?(njcourts.gov).gov
  18. New Jersey Courts, What is the Special Civil Part?(njcourts.gov).gov
  19. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1, Six-year limitation period(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
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