Two suspects are behind bars after allegedly defrauding individuals in south Reno out of nearly $50,000.
On February 10, deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of fraud in the area. According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, the victims were scammed out of a total of $49,300.
The fraudulent scheme involved the suspects impersonating representatives from Amazon’s fraud department and a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officer. Despite the initial theft, the scammers continued pressuring victims for additional payments.
In response, the Washoe County Patrol Deputies, Property Detectives, the Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center, and the Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations Unit worked collaboratively to identify the perpetrators. Their efforts led to the arrest of two individuals on Wednesday—Mohjid Singh and Habri Harmal—when they arrived in Northern Nevada to collect more money from their victims.
Singh and Harmal were charged with multiple felony offenses, including theft (valued at $3,500 or greater from elderly victims), exploiting older or vulnerable persons for amounts of $5,000 or more, and two counts of conspiring to abuse, exploit, or isolate elderly or vulnerable individuals.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate whether the suspects have been involved in other similar fraud cases throughout the Northern Nevada area.
Scammers often pose as law enforcement or government officials to demand fraudulent payments. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office urges the public to remain vigilant:
Law enforcement will never call to demand payment.
Hang up immediately if you’re asked for money or personal information.
Verify suspicious claims by contacting the courts or the Sheriff’s Office directly.
Report scam calls to local authorities.
Legitimate businesses or law enforcement will never request payments in cryptocurrency.
