Caught in the Act: Elkin police catch scammers posing as the FBI
By Bethany Cates
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ELKIN, N.C. (WXII) — Elkin police in Surry County stopped a scam targeting an elderly couple on Tuesday, preventing them from losing $15,000 to fraudsters posing as the FBI.
“This is very common; it’s just rare that we do get the opportunity to have the suspects so close and be able to actually close a case,” said Captain Joseph Johnson with Elkin Police.
The scam was uncovered after a caregiver noticed strange withdrawals from the couple’s bank account, which amounted to $15,000, according to Elkin police.
“The scam was put in place by subjects that were claiming to be FBI agents and were investigating suspicious banking activities,” said Johnson.
Officers set up surveillance near the victims’ home and spotted the suspect vehicle that was supposed to pick up the money from a mailbox. The driver spotted officers and tried to get away, but were stopped after a probable cause traffic stop.
“Through the course of that, they were able to detain 6 suspects for who were later arrested for felony conspiracy, concealed weapons charges and drugs,” said Johnson.
All six suspects were from the Miami area. Officers found concealed weapons, narcotics, and a large sum of cash in the vehicle.
Captain Johnson highlighted the importance of vigilance during tax season, stating, “There’s often an influx of funds that families don’t have outside of this time of the year.”
Johnson also shared tips on how to protect against scam calls: “Just be very observant of what your elderly family members are going through, if you see anything that’s just an odd transaction in their banking, don’t be afraid to question it.”
Elkin police emphasized that law enforcement agencies will never ask individuals to withdraw or transfer money to protect their funds. It is still unknown how the elderly couple was targeted or if others were involved in the scam ring.
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