Pug Search Leads to Online Scam, Police Say

Upper Macungie police say a woman shopping for puppies online became the victim of a scam Friday afternoon.

According to police, the 52-year-old Blue Barn Road resident responded to an ad for pug puppies from a seller in Ohio. 

The woman paid $390 for the sale and for shipping. The seller then asked for $1,500 in pet insurance, and the woman realized the sale was a scam. 

This incident was one of four fraud cases this week reported to police.

In the first case, a 32-year-old Breinigsville resident reported that someone had accessed her PayPal account Thursday evening without her permission, and used it spend $611 on a cell phone. The buyer had the phone shipped to an address in New Hampshire.

The second case involved a 52-year-old Breinigsville woman who reported a number of unauthorized purchases on her credit card. 

Police say someone made $404 in online purchases at various retailers.

On Friday afternoon, a resident of the 5900 block of Palomino Drive reported that someone had used her PNC Bank card to make nearly $900 in purchases at a Brookstone store in Troy, Mich.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 484-661-5911.