Fraud Alert: Letters From American Express
Over the past week, Newark Police have received multiple reports from residents that they have received a letter from American Express indicating that a bank account had been opened in their name. The letter goes on to explain that American Express closed the account within a day or two. No purchases were made and no victim lost any money.
The letters from American Express are legitimate and they are meant to inform the recipient that their personal information may have been compromised through well publicized data breaches. It is unknown exactly when, or how, the personal information was obtained.
Members of the public who believe that their personal information may have been compromised are urged to report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at their website: https://www.identitytheft.gov/Assistant. The website provides additional instructions as to steps that can be taken in response to a possible identity theft.
In addition, victims of identity theft can follow this advice from the FTC:
- If a company responsible for exposing your information offers you free credit monitoring, take advantage of it.
- Get your free credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. Check for any accounts or charges you don’t recognize.
- Consider placing a free credit freeze. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.
- Try to file your taxes early — before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS.
- Don’t believe anyone who calls and says you’ll be arrested unless you pay for taxes or debt — even if they have part or all of your Social Security number, or they say they’re from the IRS.
- Continue to check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. You can order a free report from each of the three credit reporting companies once a year.
More information is available from the Federal Trade Commission at their website: www.identitytheft.gov
Anyone who has questions about identity theft can contact our Victim Services Coordinator, Ms. Melissa Pennachi, at (302) 366-7100 x. 3137 or by email.
New Castle Man Arrested for Putting a Chemical in a Co-Worker’s Beverage
On December 30, 2019, Newark Police arrested Curtis Malloy, 50, of New Castle for one count of Adulteration. The arrest closes a nearly nine-month long investigation into a report that a chemical had been placed by one co-worker into another co-worker’s beverage.
On April 10, 2019, a female victim reported that she had been in a recent argument with a co-worker at a business in the 300 block of Markus Court in Newark. She reported that she did not get along with the co-worker and she suspected that he had poured a chemical into her beverage at her workstation. The victim reported that when she went to drink a beverage she had at her workstation, she thought it smelled like Pine-Sol cleaning solution. The victim did not drink the beverage at that time. She reported to police that she suspected that the co-worker had been tampering with her food and drinks for an extended period of time. The beverage was seized and an investigation was launched by a Detective from the Newark Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.
The Detective interviewed co-workers and obtained video surveillance from the business. This information provided evidence of Malloy’s presence at the victim’s workstation at times when he should not have been there. Malloy resigned his employment after this incident occurred.
The seized beverage was analyzed by the Pennsylvania State Police Harrisburg Regional Crime Lab and found to contain Isopropyl Alcohol, which is consistent with a chemical in Pine-Sol.
On December 26, 2019, a warrant was obtained charging Malloy with one count of Adulteration, a felony.
On December 30, 2019, Malloy turned himself in to Newark PD. He appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #2 by video and was released on his own recognizance to appear in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas at a later date.
