Bloomfield, NJ – A man accused of scamming a victim out of $35,000 in a phone fraud scheme has been arrested, Bloomfield Police confirmed.
Authorities say the victim was contacted by someone pretending to represent Capital One Bank. The caller claimed there was an urgent issue and instructed the victim to bring $35,000 in cash to a designated location, where a supposed representative of the Federal Trade Commission would collect it.
When the victim complied, an individual in a vehicle retrieved the cash. Detectives from the Bloomfield Police Department reviewed surveillance footage and conducted an in-depth investigation. This ultimately led to the identification of the suspect as Mahir Patel.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Patel later turned himself in to police.
Bloomfield Police Chief George Ricci commended the detectives involved, saying, “I would like to commend the members of our Detective Bureau for their investigation that led to this arrest.”
Chief Ricci also urged the public to stay vigilant. “Scams like this happen almost daily. Do not respond to suspicious phone calls or texts, and never share financial details unless you’re certain it’s a trusted source.”
The investigation is ongoing.
