Crime & Safety
Unhappy Birthday for Victim of Identity Theft
The following information was provided by the West Bloomfield Township Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.
Surpise computer birthday 'gift'
A West Bloomfield man thought that his friends and family were helping him celebrate his 50th birthday by mailing him a new Apple Macbook Pro laptop computer from California on June 7. Instead he fell victim to identity theft, according to West Bloomfield Police Lt. Mike Turner.
After friends and family denied sending the man his new computer, he received a letter from e-commerce business website Paypal July 17 telling him that his account was delinquent by several thousand dollars for a new computer, Turner said.
Having never used PayPal, he reported the incident to police, claiming that the only way that someone could have accessed the information required to use PayPal would have been to hack his man’s wireless internet access, which is not protected by a firewall. Police are investigating the incident, which Turner described as “somewhat common for the area.”
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Unlawful entry suspect arrested
A 26-year-old West Bloomfield resident was arrested after an unlawful entry to a home in the 6200 block of Silverbrook West on July 12, according to Turner.
Turner said the man was reported to have been given permission to enter the home around 12:30 a.m. by a roommate to return a dog which belonged to the roommate and had gone missing without his collar. The arrested man, who had known the roommate, stayed for an unknown length of time after returning the dog with no one home.
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After the reporting person came home, he notified police who arrested the other man and held him overnight, Turner said. He was released pending charges of unlawful entry.
Vacant home damaged and items stolen
Police are investigating a larceny from a vacant home on the 6200 block of Timberwood North.
Turner said that a cleaning crew sent by the home owner reported shattered windows, drywall damage, and a missing furnace and air conditioner when it arrived at noon July 18. Neighbors reported hearing no noises. Turner said the missing fixtures, worth several thousand dollars, were likely taken for resale.
If you have any information on the incidents, call the at 248-975-9200. For questions about this blotter, email Tim.Rath@Patch.com.
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