By Alex Lloyd Gross
No one likes to get a traffic ticket. That being said, there is a scam going around in the Delaware Valley that involves fake tickets. People like those tickets even less, including the police. According to cops, someone was taking photographs of vehicles that were legally parked at private residences in the township. Then, those photographs are printed out on phony a “Notice of infraction” which alleges that the vehicle was caught speeding. All of them allege a speeding infraction on East Pleasant Grove Road.
The owners are requested to pay the fine on or before March 26, 2017 which is $96.00 by leaving the fine in their mailbox, in cash. There is an email that people receiving the fake tickets would have to send a notice that the payment is ready for pick up. So far, this scam is limited to the Westtown Township. Police Department. At first glance, they look real.
It is realistically easy to create something using a computer that looks real. Public records can tell anyone who owns a specific house. The rest can be filled out using the “violation” template . It is unknown if anyone fell victim to the scam or if anyone received a notice and laughed it off, throwing it away. “So far about 15 of these have been placed in people’s mail boxes,” said Sgt. Stephen Wassell, of the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department Police Department”.
While no arrests have been made, police have an idea of who they are looking for. “We interviewed a 16 year old juvenile male who was released without being charged. Pending further investigation, he will be”, the Sgt. said. According to a faxed press release, one resident possibly had a video surveillance of the person actually placing the notices in people’s mailboxes. Sgt. Wassell said that the incident came to light when a resident got a notice, thought it to be suspicious and reported it.
“We do not use any kind of speed cameras ,” the Sgt. said. If anyone has gotten a notice, the Westtown-East Gospeh Regional Police Department wants to hear from you. (610) 692-5100.