Email fraud scheme targets elderly woman in Apache Junction, 2 men arrested
Elderly woman targeted in $82,000 subscription scam
Two men were arrested for conspiracy, money laundering and fraud schemes after scamming an 86-year-old woman out of $82,000 in an email subscription scam. FOX 10's Ellen McNamara has more.
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - Apache Junction Police are sending a warning after a pair of arrests for elder fraud and abuse.
They say two men stole tens of thousands of dollars from an 86-year-old woman.
Apache Junction police arrested two suspects, both accused of scamming an 86-year-old woman out of $82,000.
It all started back on March 4 and the victim told police it all started with an email.
Apache Junction woman scammed out of $82K: PD
An elderly woman in Apache Junction was scammed out of thousands of dollars and two men have been arrested, police said.
What they're saying:
"She said she subscribed to something that wasn't there and she clicked the link to say this wasn't me. Please cancel," said Danielle Spence, Community Services Officer with Apache Junction Police.
After that, she got a call from one of the men claiming he would issue a refund for the subscription, but first she would have to click on a link to allow him access to her computer.
Things escalated from there when one of the men claimed too much money was refunded and she needed to withdraw money to pay it back.
"They said ‘oh no, we reimbursed you $49,000. We need you to pay that back to fix our books,’" said Spence.
The suspects actually went to the woman's home to collect the money in person and during one of those pick-ups, the police were there and waiting.
"While were on the phone with the scammer, we moved in, seized their vehicle and their phones," said Detective Frank Suennen.
"We got a search warrant for their phones. There were hundreds. They were counting it in videos."
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Big picture view:
Suennen said the phones trace back to El Monte, Calif. and show the two suspects may have been mules for a larger operation.
What you can do:
Police have a few tips to help you from falling victim to something similar.
"If you get emails that don't look right, follow up with it because no government entity is going to ask for that," said Suennen.
Local perspective:
Both men have been booked into the Pinal County detention facility for conspiracy, money laundering and fraud schemes.
Police believe there are additional victims who haven't been identified.
If you've been a victim of a similar scheme, contact the police.