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Previously: A jeweler was robbed at gunpoint hours after he posted a $150,000 Patek Philippe watch for sale on Instagram.

On Monday, September 11, 2023, Newtown Township Police were dispatched to Autumn Drive around 8 PM for a report of an armed robbery. A resident reported he was approached by two black males both armed with black semi-automatic handguns and forced to turn over his wristwatch. The males were described as medium build, approximately 5'10", wearing black clothing, gloves, and ski masks. They possibly fled in a dark-colored sedan with no license plate attached. The vehicle was last seen on the Newtown Bypass towards I-295. Officers from Newtown Township, Newtown Borough, Lower Makefield, Upper Makefield, and a K9 from Central Bucks Regional assisted with searching for the subjects. The resident was not injured.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/newtowntwppd/34824/cases/armed-robbery

According to the victim, who works in jewelry in center city Philadelphia, the watch is valued at $150,000. The NTPD Chief told me that he was staked out by the criminals in Philly while accomplices waited for him at his home. Not your typical criminal motus operandi.

According to the most recent NTPD police statistics, up until this incident, there were NO AGGRAVATED CRIMES (ROBBERY) against a person in Newtown Twp or Wrightstown Twp. Also NO such crimes in ALL of 2022. Yes, with this one aggravated robbery, the crime rate has increased 100% if you care to make a point that does not prove much in terms of increased danger to residents of Newtown.

Recent Crimewatch Activity

• July 27, 2023: A Newtown Township resident responded to headquarters around 8:30 am to report a fraud involving extortion on Instagram. The total value of loss was $2,000, and the investigation is ongoing at this time.
• July 28, 2023: Police were dispatched to McCaffrey’s Food Market at approximately 4:30 pm for the report of a retail theft. The theft occurred on Wednesday, July 26th, and the total value of loss was approximately $1,225. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
• July 28, 2023: At approximately 5:15 pm a Wrightstown Township resident contacted police to report fraud. The resident explained that she received a package in the mail containing seven bottles of vitamins/supplements that she didn’t order. When she searched online to determine where the package came from, she found articles that explained it was a common brushing scam. In a brushing scam, an online retailer sends people items and products they didn’t purchase in order to fraudulently improve their store’s ratings. Creating a fake transaction and mailing the item to a random person gives the seller credit for a sale, which boosts that seller’s rating on online marketplaces like Amazon. They may also write a fake positive review of the item in the recipient’s name to increase their rating even more. Brushing scams often indicate that personal information was compromised. In this resident’s case, there were fraudulent charges on her credit card. She closed the account and was able to dispute the charges.

PSA: Police advise anyone who receives a package that they didn’t order to monitor their credit card and bank accounts and to notify authorities if the package contains anything suspicious. Whether you are the victim of a brushing scam or want to prevent it from happening to you, there are steps you can take to protect your personal information going forward. We suggest changing your account passwords with unique 12-plus-character passphrases and frequently checking your financial accounts for any suspicious activity.

Recent Crimewatch activity:

• July 8, 2023 At approximately 12:00 pm police were contacted in regards to an assault that took place in Newtown Township. The investigation is ongoing at this time. Around 4:15 pm police were dispatched to Robert’s Ridge Park in Newtown Township for several thefts from motor vehicles. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
• June 19, 2023 At approximately 12:45 am police were dispatched to a Newtown Township residence for the report of a disturbance. As a result of the investigation, one subject was arrested and charged with assault.
• July 13, 2023 At approximately 6:15 pm a Newtown Township resident contacted police in reference to fraud. She explained that earlier in the month she received an email that posed as a legitimate company and called the phone number listed. The person she spoke to instructed her to buy four $500 Apple Gift Cards and two $500 Target gift cards. After she bought the gift cards, she provided the card and pin numbers to the scammer and never heard from them again. Police remind residents that anyone who demands to be paid with a gift card is a scammer. Remember that gift cards are for gifts, not for payments.