Authorities arrested two New Jersey men who allegedly tried to scam a man out of more than $100,000 by convincing him he needed their help to resolve a bank account hacking.
Egg Harbor Township police arrested 25-year-old Mahir Patel and 21-year-old Davit Chapidze on May 27. Both men were charged with criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, money laundering and conspiracy-related crimes.
According to a police affidavit obtained by NJ.com, Patel and Chapidze first reached out to an “older man” online, telling him his bank account was hacked and that he needed to pay them $50,000 for their help.
After he paid them that amount on May 18, they coaxed him into shelling out another $103,000 for more of their help and arranged to meet the victim on May 27 at a Wawa convenience store in Mays Landing, Hamilton Township, where he could pay them.
The victim contacted Egg Harbor Township Police on May 23 about the upcoming transaction, and authorities decided to monitor the May 27 meeting.
On the day of the meeting, Patel and Chapidze went to a secluded area near the Wawa store where police converged on the suspects.
Investigators questioned both men, who stated they drove two hours from the Middlesex County area to visit Atlantic City.
Hamilton Township is 20 miles inland from the shore city, but neither man ever provided police a reason for stopping in the area.
Authorities have yet to locate the missing $50,000. The victim’s identity also wasn’t released.
“The Egg Harbor Township Police Department reminds the community to stay vigilant against scams specifically targeting older adults,” a press release from the Egg Harbor Police Department reads, per Tapinto Edison. “Criminals often exploit trust and technology to deceive seniors into surrendering money or personal information, frequently posing as tech support, government agencies, or loved ones in distress.”
The FBI reported that older American citizens often fall prey to several types of scams, including tech support scams. Federal officials list several precautions online that people can adopt to protect themselves from scammers.
