Investigators learned the suspect may have been part of similar incidents in other areas. — Image by freepik
A California man will spend one month in jail and be required to pay US$30,000 (RM130,800) after he scammed a Larimer County couple out of that money and nearly scammed them out of another US$70,000 (RM305,200).
In March, an 85-year-old man and an 83-year-old woman contacted law enforcement to report a scam, according to a recent release from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The couple was tricked by a pop-up on their computer, which prompted them to call “Microsoft Support Services” to resolve the fake technical issue.
“The scammer initially contacted the elderly couple on the phone, where he told them to withdraw US$30,000,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson said in an email. “Someone then picked up the money from them.”
Several days later, the scammer reached out asking for an additional US$70,000 to solve a fictitious bank account problem. After the couple’s withdrawal request was denied by several banks that suspected fraud, the scammer instructed them to obtain US$70,000 in gold bars and that he would come to their home to collect it, the release stated; the couple, suspicious of the request, contacted the sheriff’s office.
In April, investigators waited with the victims and arrested the man when he come to collect the gold. He was identified by authorities as 28-year-old Arashdeep Dhaliwal of California.
“The scammer did all of this under the guise of fixing a false issue with their bank account,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Dhaliwal was arrested on a charge of theft, a class 5 felony; and two counts of theft from an at-risk person, a class 3 felony. He later entered into a plea agreement with 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office where he pleaded guilty to one count of theft as a class 4 felony and the other charges were dismissed.
In July, 8th Judicial District Court Judge Stephen Jouard sentenced Dhaliwal to 30 days in jail to be served at work release, three years of supervised probation and ordered him to pay the victims restitution of US$30,000.
“It can often be difficult for fraud victims to come forward, feeling guilty or ashamed that they fell for a scam. That’s exactly what scammers want. They isolate their victims and make them feel helpless,” Investigations Sgt. Rita Servin said in the release. “They scare people into giving the scammers money, and use psychological manipulation to discourage them from reporting the crime. It’s extremely challenging to identify suspects in scam cases as they’re often operating from other states or internationally. I’m grateful to the banks who initially raised concerns about this being fraud and the investigators who intervened and arrested this man before he could take further advantage of innocent people. I also commend the victims for coming forward and reporting this situation.”
Investigators learned the suspect may have been part of similar incidents in other areas.
“Scams are extremely common and affect Larimer County residents of all ages,” the department added in its release. “Using fear and other aggressive tactics, scammers attempt to coerce their victims into sending money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or precious metals like gold. Scammers demand compensation to fix fabricated problems, like fake computer issues, imposter grandchildren in jail, or false warrants that do not actually exist. Legitimate law enforcement or government agencies will never demand payment to resolve these issues.” – Loveland Reporter-Herald, Colo./Tribune News Service
