Doylestown Resident Victimized In 'Lending Tree' Scam: Police

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Police in Doylestown Township are warning of a scam involving people purporting to be from Lending Tree who seek social security numbers and banking information.

According to police, a local resident was victimized in the scam this month.

The resident said he was in contact with a person who said they were a representative of Lending Tree. The resident completed an application with his name, address, date of birth, social security number, and bank account information.

The victim was in communication with the person through telephone. A fraudulent check was deposited into their account and the victim was instructed to obtain Walmart gift cards with the money that was deposited into the account. The resident was told to send a picture of the serial number through text message to show “good faith," police said.

The victim later learned that the check was fraudulent and the person purporting to be from Lending Tree was illegitimate.

Anyone who experiences similar encounters should notify police.