A Fort Myers man is in custody following his alleged involvement in an international fraud scheme that drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims across three countries.
Benton M. Reynaert was arrested Tuesday, bringing a two-year financial crimes investigation to a close, according to Fort Myers police. Investigators say Reynaert played a central role as a “money mule” in a Microsoft-themed technical support scam targeting victims in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Authorities allege the scam relied on alarming pop-up messages falsely claiming victims’ computers were locked or compromised. Believing their systems were at risk, victims were pressured into sending cash after scammers claimed a refund processing error had occurred.
Police say Reynaert helped transfer the stolen funds overseas using multiple methods, including cryptocurrency kiosks, gift cards, wire transfers, Western Union transactions, and checks.
Reynaert now faces several felony charges, including money laundering, organized fraud, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and trafficking in stolen property.
The Fort Myers Police Department is warning the public that legitimate companies and government agencies will never request payments or refunds via cash, cryptocurrency kiosks, gift cards, wire transfers, or mailed packages. Anyone who encounters a similar scam is urged to immediately cease communication and contact law enforcement or a trusted family member.
