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A 24-year-old California man has been arrested after trying to defraud an elderly Village of Richfield woman of money through a phone scam. The arrest happened during a sting last Wednesday afternoon following a call from a victim whose bank account had already been accessed by the suspect claiming to be a computer tech support person the day before.
The woman had received an email saying she was signed up for tech services and would be charged a subscription fee. The woman clicked a link in order to cancel the subscription, but this ultimately led to the suspects gaining access to the victim’s bank account, making it appear as if they’d accidentally refunded a large sum of money. The victim then received a call indicating that she could either return the money through a Bitcoin transfer, or else have a courier pick up cash from her. That prompted the victim to call the Sheriff’s office with suspicion that she’d been scammed.
Washington County Sheriff’s investigators began coordinating with the scammers to meet the courier at the victim’s home and pay $26,500 at the curbside. The suspect, an Indian National seeking asylum in the U.S., was arrested upon arrival. He told investigators that he’d flown from California the day before, and planned to accompany the woman to withdraw the remainder of her account from the bank. The man confessed to having made similar pickups outside of Wisconsin; his travel and boarding bills were covered by, and he received his orders from family back in India.
Upon learning of his immigration status, federal officials were notified. The man is in the Washington County Jail on a detainer from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
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