Towamencin police warn of scam compromising resident's personal information

TOWAMENICAN, Pa. - Towamencin police are warning the public of a scam involving residents receiving packages they didn't order. They later find out their personal information had been compromised to complete those purchases.

"I haven't heard anything like that before," said Ryan McDonald.

Investigators say people are stealing personal information and using it to buy items, but they don't stop there. They're bold enough to have it sent to your house. They stake it out and try to get it before you notice.

"I've seen people with like the Ring cameras and stuff. Like people run up and get packages but I think they're like stealing packages mostly. I've never seen someone order one somewhere I don’t even know how you would do that," said McDonald.

Towamencin police say they've had two incidents in the township so far. Someone who lives near Lamplighter Way and Grist Mill Drive reported getting packages at their home on Oct. 6. They later found out their personal information had been compromised and used to make the purchase. A similar thing happened to someone near Allentown Road and Keeler Road Tuesday.  That person contacted the business to say they hadn't ordered the item and says they were told someone opened a credit card in their name and made the purchase.

Police say in the most recent incident, the resident also reported seeing an older model white van in his cul-de-sac stop in front of his house the morning the package came. According to police, a home security camera captured a van fitting that description back in the cul-de-sac Wednesday.

Frank Dassin isn't surprised this is happening.

"Not really like knowing how things are going now-a-days in 2019. There are a lot of different ways people try to scam nowadays."

Police haven’t determined whether the two incidents are related.