IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A 72-year-old Easton Township woman lost over $40,000 but avoided losing any more after a relative realized she had become the victim of a wire fraud scam.
On May 8, the woman was locked out of her computer tablet as it displayed a phone number telling her to "call technical support."
She called the number and spoke with a subject who identified themselves as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This person told her that her accounts had been compromised in an identity theft in another state and that her money was not safe in the banks.
The individual instructed the woman to withdraw money from her bank account to place into a box for federal agents to come pick up.
In total, the woman handed over more than $40,000 to the scammers claiming to be federal agents on May 9.
One week after the incident, the woman received another call asking for more money to be given to them for "safekeeping."
However, a relative of the woman intervened and recognized that she had been scammed. The relative contacted law enforcement.
The Ionia County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) stepped in and deployed undercover units in and around the woman's home to wait for the scammers to return to collect the additional money.
ICSO said the scammers were "really good," and even told the woman what color and model of car would be arriving to pick up the money in an attempt to seem more official.
Undercover officers were surveilling the area when the vehicle the scammers had described arrived. However, instead of them picking up a box full of money, they were picked up by deputies.
The two men in the vehicle were from Illinois and could not provide officers with a valid reason for why they were in Ionia Co., MI.
After investigators continued to question them, one man admitted they were part of a larger fraud ring. He said they were paid to pick up the boxes of money from victims.
The two men have been identified as Jainav Sanjaykumar Patel, 25 of Carbondale, IL and Alonzo Lee Waheed Jr, 27 of Marion, Illinois. They were both charged with Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses in the amount of $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, or fraud.
The investigation into the fraud ring is ongoing with hopes of recovering the money stolen from the victims. ICSO said additional charges are likely as they continue to investigate and search electronics for other persons who were targeted in the scheme.
ICSO said that in cases like this, it's very difficult to locate the stolen money after it exchanges hands since it is handed over in cash, unlike other wire frauds.
Deputies said their early investigation shows that the person who was on the phone with the victim was based overseas and used various anonymity apps to hide their identity and call spoofing to make it seem like the calls really came from the FTC.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of this type of scam, you are encouraged to contact your local police department, sheriff’s office, or Michigan State Police depending on where you live.
No government agents, be it federal, state, or local will ever ask you for large amounts of cash for “safekeeping."
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