A Lower Saucon Township resident reported to Saucon Source Saturday that he was scammed out of $1,000.99–most of the available cash in his bank account–on Friday.
The scam was perpetrated by apparently sophisticated phone scammers who used 20-year-old personal financial data they somehow obtained to convince him he would be sued in court to recover an $8,000 debt if he didn’t make a settlement payment immediately, he said.
The resident said he reported to police that the people he spoke to on the phone had American accents, spoke eloquently and were detailed in their approach to convincing him that he actually owed the money.
He at one point hung up the phone and later called back, continuing the conversation with them.
One of several people he spoke to was named “Ashley,” and the phone number he was called from had a 215 area code and came up as a “Flourtown” number.
Flourtown is a census-designated place in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, near Philadelphia.
The victim said the investigating officer later told him the scam originated in India.
He said township police said they had not heard of a scam like this one before.
An odd characteristic of the scam is that the amount of money requested was not an even number, such as $1,000.
If you are unsure about a phone call–especially one in which payment is requested–it’s always best to hang up and call local police.
The Northampton County non-emergency phone number is 610-759-2200. Lower Saucon Township Police can be reached at 610-317-6110 and Hellertown Police can be reached at 610-838-7040.
The resident said he reached out to Saucon Source to share his story, to help prevent other local residents from falling victim to this scam.
