Multiple Internet Fraud Cases Reported In West Whiteland

WEST WHITELAND, PA – Email hacking enabled suspects to access the Amazon accounts of several Chester County residents to fraudulently purchase MacBook computers, West Whiteland police said.

There were at least five such purchases, according to authorities.

Police launched the investigation after a West Whiteland resident told authorities on Jan. 7 someone accessed her Amazon account and purchased a $2,100 MacBook Pro computer with her credit card.

Through the investigation, authorities learned the computer was to be sent to the victim's address, but the suspect rerouted the package to a UPS facility in West Chester to be picked up there.

Police then learned two other shipments with addresses of Chester County residents were awaiting pick up, but neither of those residents made the purchases.

In addition to those three packages, two other packages were delivered to the facility and picked up recently. Police said none of those purchases were made by the residents to which they were addressed.

All of these fraudulent purchases were made through the victims’ Amazon accounts, police said.

Several of the victims reported their email accounts were hacked before the purchases were made, police said.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of a similar crime is urged to contact West Whiteland Police Detectives Jeff McCloskey at jmccloskey@westwhiteland.org and Scott Pezick at spezick@westwhiteland.org, or call the West Whiteland Police Department at (610) 363-0200.

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