The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

February 3, 2010

UPDATE: Internet fraud dupes woman

Thought she knew person on Facebook

By Courtney L. Anderson

SHARON — Sharon police warn people to be wary of Internet fraud after a local woman was scammed out of more than $1,300 through contact on a social-networking site.

A 57-year-old Sharon woman reported the fraud to police on Jan. 31.

While on Facebook, the popular Web site that allows “friends” to share photos and communicate, the woman was contacted by someone she believed was an old friend’s daughter, police said.

However the daughter’s account had been hacked and while it appeared to be her chatting with the victim, it wasn’t, police said. The young woman no longer had access to her own account and just assumed it was a computer glitch, police said.

Through Facebook’s instant-message feature, the women talked and after brief pleasantries, the alleged “friend” told the Sharon woman that she was in London and had been robbed at gunpoint, police said.

Whoever was posing as the girl said her cash, credit cards and cell phone had been stolen. She still had her passport, but had no money to get back home, the scammer said.

So the Sharon woman offered to wire money to help the person and sent $720 and was charged a $56 fee to do so.

The person later contacted the woman and said it wasn’t quite enough for a ticket home so the Sharon woman transferred another $500 to London, for which she was charged a $43 fee.

Police caution people about sending any money to anyone who contacts them via the Internet. They suggest not taking anything at face value and verifying the story through some method other than e-mail or networking sites.

Text Only
Local News
  • Storm blows in fast, leaves damage

    A scattered storm that started in Michigan and pulled in moisture over Lake Erie organized itself into a locally-severe storm system Sunday over Mercer County.

    May 28, 2012

  • transit Transit is once-in-a-lifetime show

    A rare celestial wonder that won’t be seen again for more than a century is set to play out before our eyes and Farrell’s resident astronomer  is giving locals a chance to get a first-hand look at a “black dawn.”

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012