Princeton police blotter: String of thefts, identity fraud cases

Princeton police are investigating a series of thefts and identity fraud incidents reported by residents over the past two weeks.

In the most recent identity theft case, reported March 15, an unknown actor gained unauthorized access to a Stanworth Lane resident’s email account and used her personal and financial information to enroll in online services and make fraudulent purchases. The victim discovered more than $2,100 in unauthorized transactions on her bank account. While her bank reimbursed most of the charges, she sustained a net loss of $586.43. Police said one of the purchases was picked up in person at a local retail store. No suspects have been identified.

Also on March 15, a woman reported that her bicycle had been stolen from a rack outside a local business on Spring Street some time between March 9 and March 15. The bicycle, described as a dark blue Giant Boulder 500 with silver and orange lettering and a Selle Royal seat, was taken along with its U-lock. The total estimated loss is $120.

On March 13, police responded to an apartment complex on Herrontown Road for a report of a stolen package. A delivery containing clothing and miscellaneous items, valued between $200 and $300, had been left outside the building’s main entrance on March 6 and was discovered missing the next day.

Two identity theft cases were reported on March 11. In the first, a Nassau Street resident reported that a check issued by her employer for $4,785.93, originally mailed Oct. 19, 2025, was intercepted and altered while in transit. The check, intended for a California university foundation, was fraudulently changed to a different payee and deposited at a Virginia financial institution.

In the second March 11 case, multiple items were stolen from the rear of a property on Lytle Street during renovation work between March 9 and March 11. Missing items included a dishwasher, a Callaway golf bag with clubs, 10 stainless steel serving pots, approximately one ton of scrap light iron, five stainless steel cabinets, and an aluminum ladder. Total estimated loss was $920.

The earliest case in the report, filed March 10, involved a man who told police that three unauthorized transactions totaling $9,822.67 had been made on his Bank of America credit cards between Dec. 4, 2025 and Feb. 11, 2026.

All six cases remain under investigation, and no arrests have been made.