Thursday, January 24, 2013
Authorities believe the identity-theft devices were identified and removed quickly.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Thursday, January 24
ATM skimmers ― illicit devices that blend into a cash machine's card slot, then record bank card info for later retrieval by a thief ― were found on two bank ATMs in Montgomery County earlier this month. PhillyBurbs.com reports that the devices were found on Jan. 5 and 6 on the ATMs of Wells Fargo branches on Skippack Pike in Whitpain and Whitemarsh townships. Authorities believe that the devices were discovered quickly and that no customer accounts were compromised. Other skimmers have recently been found on ATMs in Bucks County and in Medford, NJ. Security expert Brian Krebs told KYW Newsradio that ATM skimmers are growing increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot. One way to defend yourself, Krebs said, is to shield your PIN …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Customers purchase pre-paid debit cards that are then drained by fraudsters, the company said.
- BUSINESS
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Thursday, January 17
A scam in which PECO customers are misled into purchasing pre-paid debit cards which are then drained of funds is targeting the Philadelphia region, the electric and gas utility said Thursday. In the scam, customers are contacted by persons who claim to work for PECO and informed that they must make an immediate payment in order to avoid their electricity being shut off. The phony employee then instructs the customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card from a convenience store or similar location, then to provide that card's number. The fraud operators then drain the funds on the card. “We want to make our customers aware of this scam so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of this and other fraudulent activities,” said Mark …
Sunday, November 25, 2012
If you're in the market for a used car, make sure it's not one of the thousands of vehicles damaged during Superstorm Sandy .
The National Insurance Crime Bureau and Amica Insurance warn against inadvertantly purchasing vehicles that were declared total losses as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Amica Insurance released a press release last week, offering tips to help consumers identify and avoid water-damaged cars, which were declared a loss by insurance, then potentially fraudulently resold to new buyers. "Salvage operators and dealers may try to conceal the fact that a car has been damaged," said Shannon O'Brien, an Amica Insurance assistant vice president, "leaving potential buyers as potential victims of a bad deal." The NCIB offers VINCheck, a free consumer protection service to help potential car buyers identify cars which may have sustained flood or other …
Monday, October 1, 2012
An Allentown man was added to the list of defendants in 'Operation Hard Target' – a sophisticated theft ring that allegedly defrauded Target stores throughout Pennsylvania of more than $20,000.
Chance Cameron, of Allentown, was the third man arrested for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated theft ring, in which suspects are accused of affixing lower-priced UPC labels to higher-priced products to defraud Target stores and selling the products online for profit, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's office. Cameron's arrest was announced when one of the other defendants in "Operation Hard Target," Eugene Joseph Romano of Center Valley, Pa., appeared in a Montgomery County court room last week. According to a complaint filed in District Court 38-1-03, Romano 34, and Cameron, 35, have been charged along with Damian Gasdaska of Phillipsburg, NJ, with committing 46 individual retail thefts at Target Stores in …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Philadelphia Police Officer John Hoesle was arrested by Montgomery County authorities in connection with an elaborate scheme to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million.
According to a release issued by Philadelphia Police, on Thursday, Aug. 9, Philadelphia Police Officer John Hoesle was arrested by Montgomery County authorities and charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy and related charges in connection with an elaborate scheme by a "criminal organization" to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million. The 42 year-old Hoesle is a 15-year veteran of the police department who was assigned to the 15th District. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey is suspending Hoesle for thirty days with the intent to dismiss him. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman announced the arrests of five "top members of an elaborate criminal organization" who were responsible for…
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Montgomery County District Attorney Ferman says ringleaders lived lavish lifestyles.
[This article was updated at 5:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7] Five people have been arrested and warrants issued for 17 others in an elaborate scheme to defraud Comcast of more than $2.4 million between April 2011 and April 2012, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said Tuesday. The district attorney's office said Alston Buchanan, 28; Leighton Harrell, 26; Kendall Singleton, 26; and Richard Justin Spraggins, 29, all of Philadelphia; and Nicholas Caputo, 31, of Virginia Beach, Va., were "top members of an elaborate criminal organization" that led Comcast customers to make one-time payments to them in exchange for a one-time reduction in their Comcast service bills. "This is a corrupt organization involving a number of individuals …
Monday, July 2, 2012
President Obama is not providing funding to help pay your electric or gas bill.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Monday, July 2, 2012
A scam intended to deceive people into providing their social security numbers, banking details, and other personal information by misleading them to believe that the government will help pay their utility bills has appeared in the greater Philadelphia region, PECO said last week. The scam, which has been reportedly taking place through social media such as Facebook, text messages, telephone, and U.S. Mail, claims that United States President Barack Obama is providing funding to help customers pay their utility bills. “We want to make our customers aware of this scam and any potential issues so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft and other fraudulent activities,” said Mark Alden, PECO vice president of …
Friday, December 9, 2011
A briefing of police activity in Limerick, Royersford and Spring City.
The Limerick Township Police Department logged 183 incidents between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4. Nine were deemed false alarms. Of the reports are the following incidents of note. On Dec. 1 at 4:53 p.m., responding Officer John Henry was dispatched to Kohl's for a retail theft. Upon arrival, he spoke with the loss prevention officer, who told him he observed 19-year-old Amanda Margaret Jean Dornheim of Trappe select several items from the merchandise floor and take them to the women's dressing room. She came out without the items and employees confirmed those items were not in the dressing room afterward. The loss prevention officer met Dornheim at the door and she cooperated with his requests. The officer found several items in her handbag and …
Scott Johnson
12:53 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Another scam everyone should be aware of is the Amway Tool Scam. Google "Stop The Amway Tool Scam Wordpress" for more information, and forward this to every non-Distributor/IBO you know, so they don't get scammed. more ›