Two suspects charged after North Lebanon Twp. couple scammed out of $24,000 in Bitcoin
Two New Jersey men were arrested after allegedly stealing $24,000 from an elderly couple in their 70s, North Lebanon Township Police Department said.
On Monday, Jan. 22, police received a call in the Briar Lake Development in reference to a possible scam. The victims received a pop-up email from Microsoft indicating their bank account was compromised.
"The pop up advised them their banking accounts have been hacked and they were at risk of losing everything," police said in court documents, adding they were told to contact certain people to give more information. "The victims provided all their banking usernames and passwords."
The victims sent $24,000 through a Bitcoin machine in Harrisburg believing this would save the rest of their savings. The victims were then told the suspects were coming to their house on Tuesday to pick up an additional $30,000.
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the North Lebanon Township Police Department set up a surveillance detail with assistance from the Lebanon County Detective Bureau and North Cornwall Township Police Department. When the suspects called, they told the victims a white car would be coming to their house for the money and to package it.
"He told them how to package the money, place it in a box, and throw it in the back door window," police said.
Around noon a white Nissan Sedan bearing New Jersey registration plates arrived in front of the victims’ residence, and the box was deposited as instructed. Police officers stopped the sedan on Mt. Zion Road in North Lebanon Township and took the driver and passenger into custody without incident.
Police have charged Hemal Arvindbhai Patel, 25, and Digvijaysinh Jagdishsinh Chauhan, 21, with theft by deception and criminal conspiracy to commit theft by deception.
Both suspects are being held at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility, unable to make bail that was set at $300,000 for each of them. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for both men before Lebanon County Magisterial Judge Kim Wolf at 8 a.m. Feb. 1.
The North Lebanon Township Police Department wants to remind all residents not to give personal information to anyone over the phone or computer.
"With current technology, it is easy to fall victim to these types of scams," officers said on the department's Facebook page. "If someone is requesting that you go to a local store and purchase pre-paid card(s) or place cash or a debit card into a bitcoin or similar machine, this should be a red flag. This is not a normal payment method for any legitimate business."
Police added that if these requests should occur, you should contact your local police department.
Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Two charged with scamming $24,000 from N. Lebanon Twp. couple
