Newtown Township Police Headquarters off of Durham Road. (Jeff Werner/Patch)
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Newtown Township Police Department reported the following incidents between Oct. 24 and 28, including a DUI arrest, multiple car break-ins and combined losses of $39,000 from fraudulent activity.
October 24
At 9:50 a.m., a Newtown Township resident contacted police to report fraudulent activity associated with his bank account. The resident received calls from an individual claiming to be a PECO employee who was requesting payment. The resident provided his debit card information and later discovered four unauthorized charges, for a loss of over $3,000. The resident reported the fraud to his bank, and they are investigating.
At 12:53 p.m., a Newtown Township resident contacted police to report fraud. The resident received a message on his laptop claiming that it had been hacked. He was given a phone number to call to resolve the issue. The resident called the number and was given a series of instructions, which he followed. He also provided personal information, as well as bank account information, to the caller. The resident suffered a monetary loss of at least $6,000.
Sometime overnight between October 24 and 25, police reported multiple attempted car break-ins. The incidents are under investigation.
At 10:48 p.m., police encountered a vehicle on the side of the road in the area of Newtown-Yardley Road and Tara Boulevard. Upon speaking with the driver, officers detected the odor of alcohol. Suspected narcotics and drug paraphernalia were also discovered and seized during the interaction. The woman driver was placed under arrest. Charges are pending blood evidence results.
October 28
At 1:37 p.m., a Newtown Township resident contacted police to report a scam. The resident received a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff's department, stating that she missed jury duty and would be arrested if she did not pay a fine. The resident was instructed to deposit funds into a GO2 bank account by using a barcode provided to her via a text message. She suffered a monetary loss of $1,000.
October 29
At 8:24 p.m., a Newtown Township resident contacted police to report a scam. The resident received a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff's department, stating that she missed jury duty and would be arrested if she did not pay a fine. The resident was sent photos of an arrest warrant, as well as identification for individuals claiming to be from "United States District Court." She was instructed to purchase Bitcoin and given directions on how to send it to the callers. The monetary loss was $29,000.