Bomb Scare Scam Empties Croton School
A bomb scare on Wednesday at a Croton Avenue home, triggered by a money scam, led to the evacuation of the New Castle Area School District’s administration building across the street.
Students were in their classrooms when emergency units arrived, but they were dismissed early due to the incident. District Superintendent Dr. Gregg Paladina quickly notified parents, assuring them their children were safe.
New Castle police received a call from a woman on Croton Avenue who had fallen victim to a scam, being told she won $18 million. She was instructed to send money in exchange for her winnings, leading her to make numerous trips to the bank over time.
The scam escalated when the woman received a safe with money visibly sticking out, along with a threat that tampering with the safe would cause it to explode. A concerned family member reported the incident to the police.
The Allegheny County Bomb Squad was called in and advised local police to clear the area. However, only the immediate vicinity of the home required evacuation. Out of precaution, the school was also evacuated.
After securing the area, the bomb squad removed the safe and safely detonated it near Flaherty Field. No explosives were found inside.
Superintendent Paladina reassured parents using the district’s mass notification system, and students were safely dismissed. New Castle Police Chief David Cumo advised the public to remain cautious of scams, particularly those involving promises of large sums of money in exchange for sending payments.
“Never believe you’ll receive money by sending money to anyone,” Cumo cautioned. Thankfully, no one was harmed in the incident.