A De Soto resident was scammed out of $30,000 from a man who claimed to be an FBI agent working with the Social Security Administration, De Soto Police said.
According to a written statement from the department, a woman reported the theft at 1:20 p.m. Nov. 12. The alleged scammer then attempted to get more cash from the victim Nov. 14.
“Members of the De Soto Police Department, in cooperation with the victim and First State Community Bank, were able to convince the scammer that withdrawal was made from the victim’s bank account and the money was in the victim’s possession for pickup,” the police department said. “At just after 5 p.m. on (Nov. 14), a male arrived to pick up the cash and was arrested. The person arrested, a 47-year-old Hispanic male, was later released into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
The police department said the investigation is ongoing.
De Soto Police Capt. Jeff Wynn said the scam started when a popup appeared on the woman’s iPad that claimed to be Apple support and directed her to contact someone with the FBI by phone. She then called that number that was listed.
“We know (the 47-year-old man) was not alone in this,” Wynn said. “He was not person contacting her on the phone.
He said that local, state and federal law enforcement officers would never ask a person to withdraw cash and give it to them.
The department commended bank staff and police officers who spent many hours on the investigation. As of Nov. 18, the money had not been recovered, Wynn said.