Phone, Computer Scam Alert Issued In Jenkintown

JENKINTOWN, PA —The Jenkintown Police Department is warning residents about recent phone and computer scams.

Jenkintown Police said they have received several complaints over the past week involving the two scams.

The scammers are trying to represent themselves as PECO. They are using technology to redirect the call through phone numbers associated with PECO, police said.

Police said residents can determine if it's a scam if they are requested to send money via apps like Zello, Apple Pay, Bitcoin, or other similar mediums.

Purchasing gift cards is also not a legitimate method to pay off bills or fines that they claim residents owe them.

PECO and other utilities still have to communicate in written form for any termination or cancellation of service.

Police said they are also seeing scams via the computer where a phishing email or alert comes on the computer stating that Microsoft or Apple must be called because the computer is compromised.

Jenkintown Police ask that residents contact them to report and also to assist in verification that these are fraudulent.

"Most of the perpetrators are committing these frauds from other countries," police said. "Recovery of lost funds is very difficult and most banks are not refunding."