Crime Watch

Taken Identity An East Side man fell victim to identity theft. Sometime before 12 noon on Friday, December 27, a 38-year-old man was notified by a credit reporting service that unknown perpetrators had used his personal information to open numerous credit cards and make unauthorized transactions at AT&T, Macy's, Best Buy, and Bloomingdale's, totaling $4,025. Chasened

Someone made unauthorized transfers and charges on a man's savings and checking accounts. On Monday, December 16, a 36-year-old man living on the Upper East Side discovered that unauthorized transfers and charges had been made on his Chase savings and checking accounts exceeding $5,000. The man froze both accounts. He had been in possession of his ATM card during the period when the unauthorized transactions were made.

Renters' Remorse

Two people ran afoul of an apartment rental scam. On Saturday, December 21, a 32-year-old man went to view an apartment listed for rent on Craigslist. He gave a check for $1,575 to a man posing as a rental agent. When the renter returned to the apartment on a subsequent occasion, he encountered another person who had rented the same apartment from the same agent, at which point both renters realized that they had been scammed by the false agent, who had no authority to rent the apartment. More victims of this scam could emerge.

Sucker Punched

A woman was punched on the street by an unknown man. On Monday, December 30, a 55-year-old woman was walking on East 85th Street and Lexington Avenue, when she was approached by an unknown man in his 30s or 40s who appeared disturbed. He punched her in the face without warning and fled to the 86th Street subway station. The woman refused medical attention.