MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – An 83-year-old woman was scammed after a fraudster made her believe that her son was in trouble. The victim, who Local 10 News is not identifying, says she feels “taken for a fool” and wants to warn others.
On Thursday, Jason Cruceta, 40, of downtown Miami, was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. He faces charges of fraud and stealing from the elderly. During a court appearance on Friday, Miami-Dade prosecutor Nessa Eth described the case as “pretty awful.”
According to the victim, she received a phone call last month from someone impersonating her adult son. The caller claimed he had been in a car wreck and was now in jail, and told her to contact a specific attorney. However, the “attorney” was a fake.
“The ‘attorney’ was very professional and helpful and promised to talk to the DA,” the victim recalled.
The caller instructed her to withdraw $8,600 and hand it over to a courier who would arrive at her Westchester-area home. The courier, a Lyft driver, was unaware of the scam and picked up the cash.
Investigators later traced the delivery through surveillance cameras in the Lyft driver’s vehicle, which led them to Cruceta’s identity.
The defendant, who has a significant criminal history, including a previous conviction for drug trafficking, was arrested. In court, prosecutor Eth noted that Cruceta had served three years in prison for drug trafficking.
The victim later confirmed that her son was unharmed, but she was “happy on one side but mad, sick, and furious” on the other.
Authorities believe that there may be more victims involved in this scam. “They operated very well. They should be in Hollywood or Broadway,” the victim said.
Cruceta was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and is facing a $7,500 bond.
