North Whitehall Township, PA – A North Whitehall Township couple is out $20,000 after a sophisticated scam involving fraudulent Apple product charges and a “code word purple” transaction, authorities reported this week.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police Troop M – Bethlehem Station, the incident occurred Thursday around 4:45 p.m. on the 5000 block of Wynnewood Drive, Lehigh County. Investigators say the elderly victims were targeted with over 20 emails falsely stating their accounts had been charged for multiple Apple products.
Police said the victims contacted a phone number provided in the phishing email, reaching a man identifying himself as “Thomas.” The suspect, reportedly with an Asian accent, allegedly instructed the victims to download remote access software and convinced them that $20,000 had been mistakenly deposited into their account.
Authorities stated the victims were then told to withdraw two amounts of $10,000 from their bank and place the cash in a box. A courier, whose arrival was verified with the “code word purple,” then collected the money at the victims’ home. The female victim handed over the cash while her husband stayed inside and photographed the courier, police said. No vehicle was seen during the transaction.
Pennsylvania State Police have released images of the alleged courier and are asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual. Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Bethlehem Station at (610) 861-2026, the PSP Tips line at 1-800-472-8477, or submit tips online at PSP Tips. Cash rewards may be available for information leading to an arrest.
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