A Newark resident encountered a woman he believed to be a neighbor regarding a misdelivered package, resulting in fraud after sharing his contact information. The suspect, a 24-year-old from Hayward, was charged with felony identity theft and receiving stolen property. After unauthorized purchases appeared on the resident's credit card, including a $5,000 dental autoclave, police were notified. They seized a package meant for the woman, confirming it was purchased with the stolen information. Caution is urged when approached about misdelivered packages, as it may be a fraud tactic.
Police said discussing misdelivered packages is an emerging tactic in mail and identity thefts, and encouraged people to be cautious of people who approach to discuss that subject.
The resident thought the woman was a neighbor, shared a phone number and agreed to return the package if it arrived.
The next day, a package did arrive but with a different name on the envelope, police said.
Once the call for a pickup had been arranged, the man called police and told them he suspected fraud.
Collection
[
|
...
]