Prosecutor's Office: Unofficial Email Regarding Home Invasions Goes Viral

An unofficial email message from a member of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office to a family member regarding the potential threat of home invasions by flower deliverymen in Northern New Jersey went viral Monday.

Capt. Jeffrey Paul, a spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, said the message was not a formal statement by the prosecutor's office and said there is not a widespread threat of these types of break-ins.

"The information was sent out by a member of this office to a family member," Paul said. "That family member thereafter forwarded that email to a friend. This communication has since hit many social media outlets. This email was never meant to be a formal notification by this office. Although we always caution the public to be vigilant, we do not have any information to suggest that this is a widespread concern in Morris or any other county."

According to NJ.com, Assistant Prosecutor Brian N. DiGiacomo said there have been a number of recent cases in Morris, Sussex, Passaic and Bergen counties of men posing as flower deliverymen who ring the the doorbell, and if a female opens the door, they have been assaulted and tied up. Since the story was posted Monday just before noon, it has been recommended more than 150 times on Facebook and Tweeted at least three times.

There was a home invasion earlier this month in Somerset County where authorities said two black males—posed as flower deliverymen—forced their way into a Warren Township home and bound the housekeeper.

The 28-year-old woman, who was the only person home at the time of the incident, suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. No arrests have yet to be made in the case.