LEBANON, Pa. — Police in Lebanon County arrested two suspects in a theft-by-deception scam that victimized an elderly couple in North Lebanon Township.
The scam was reported Monday at noon in the Briar Lake Development, according to North Lebanon Township Police.
The victims were reportedly scammed out of $24,000 after responding to an email from someone claiming to be from Microsoft, according to police. The email indicated the victims' bank account was compromised, and told the victims they had to share personal banking information and send money through a Bitcoin machine to protect it.
The victims complied, sending $24,000 through the Bitcoin machine in the mistaken belief they were protecting their savings, police said. The scammers were allegedly in constant contact with the victims, providing step-by-step instructions on how to send the money.
Once the money was sent, the scammers allegedly contacted the victims again, claiming they needed an additional $30,000. The scammer said they would come to the victims' home the following day to get the money, police said.
At that point, the victims became suspicious and called police, who began investigating.
On Tuesday, North Lebanon Township Police set up a surveillance detail near the victims' home to catch the suspects when they came to complete the transaction.
The suspects contacted the victims again and told them to place the money in a sealed box, which they were instructed to throw through the rear window of a car that would be arriving shortly.
At about noon on Tuesday, a sedan with New Jersey registration arrived at the victims' home, and the victims threw the sealed box into the back seat, at which point the car left the scene.
Police pulled over the car a short distance away and took the occupants into custody.
Hemal Patel, 25, and Jagdishsinh Chauhan, 21, both of Iselin, New Jersey, were charged with theft by deception and criminal conspiracy. They were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Marie Dissinger, who set bail at $300,000 each.
North Lebanon Township Police remind the public to avoid sharing personal or financial information with anyone over the phone or via a computer. If someone asks you to complete a transaction by purchasing gift cards from a store or by sending money through a Bitcoin machine, it should be considered a red flag, according to police.
