Crime and Fire

Businessman Scammed by Online Demand, Police Say

Lower Macungie man was cheated when he wired $200 to a person who said he had to pay a licensing fee to register his business, troopers report.

A Lower Macungie Township man who runs an online business thought he was complying with a demand to register his service but was cheated out of the money instead, police said. William Ralph Boyle Jr. of the 1100 block of Hillview Drive was contacted by someone who claimed to belong to the outsourced corporation involved with his online business, according to state police at Fogelsville. That person said in December that Boyle needed to pay a $200 licensing fee to maintain his business. Boyle sent $200 via Western Union, police said. However, Boyle learned that the funds were not submitted to his company through the source to whom he sent the money. Police are investigating the incident as theft by deception.

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Crime and Fire

Police: Woman Returned Rugs She Hadn't Purchased

She also bought merchandise with the credit and tried to leave Lower Macungie Walmart without paying for a coffeemaker, they say.

There are shopping deals and then there are shopping deals. Unfortunately, all aren't legal. Take, for example, the recent shopping trip of a Hellertown woman to the Walmart in Lower Macungie Township. Jessica Warjas, 34, of 1096 Pine Court picked out two rugs on Sept. 27 that might have made fine additions to her home. But, according to police, she instead made her way to the customer service counter where she returned the rugs in exchange for a Walmart gift card.  Seems she couldn't find the receipt, so the store would only give her credit via the gift card. Of course, as it turned out, she had no receipt because she hadn't purchased the rugs in the first place, according to state police at Fogelsville. Next Warjas purchased merchandise …

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Crime and Fire

Good-Natured Grandpa Scammed Out of $4,000

Caller tells Lower Macungie man that his grandson has been arrested in Mexico and needs bail money, police says.

They have differing characters and plots, but a scam by any other name is . . . still a scam. The variables are, of course, what makes this type of scam believable to some. That and the urgency that is always involved. Act now! That's always the common theme. And it's insisted upon to prompt an irrational response and one to act before checking facts. This scam occurred on Sept. 20 to a man on Alexander Drive in Lower Macungie Township. A caller said to the man that his grandson had been arrested in Mexico and needed bail money, according to state police at Fogelsville. The victim sent $4,000 via Western Union to Mexico. Police classified the incident theft by deception. Calls like these typically involve a friend or relative who has been …

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Police: Woman Conned Trying to Buy Dog

Woman pays but doesn't receive pet and is asked for more money, police say.

An Upper Milford Township woman is hoping that -- like cats -- this dog story will have more than one life. Katarzyna Slodkowska of 6302 Sweetwood Drive wanted to purchase a dog, according to state police at Fogelsville. She was told May 28 by an unidentified person to send money via Western Union to a third party in order to complete the purchase. After receiving the full amount, the person contacted Slodkowska on May 30 and said she would have to send more money to complete the transaction, police said. Slodkowska asked for her money back, but none was received. Police did not specify the amount paid or the additional figure requested. Police are investigating the complaint as theft by deception and said their investigation is continuing.

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Mariella Savidge

8:30 am on Monday, June 4, 2012

Wow, Sharon, that's quite a story! How long ago did that happen?   more ›