GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A 28-year-old man has been arrested on money laundering charges following an elaborate scam that drained $1.5 million from an elderly Goodyear woman over a six-month period, police said.
The investigation revealed the scheme began in June when the victim searched online for customer support after experiencing issues with closed captioning on her Roku television. The phone number she found, however, was fraudulent.
According to police, a man identifying himself as “John” answered the call and claimed the woman’s Roku account was being used by multiple people across several states. He then transferred her to another individual posing as “Kevin” from the Federal Trade Commission.
What began as a $200 charge quickly escalated. The scammers convinced the woman to install software on her computer that allowed them access to her personal and financial information. Using fear tactics, the fraudsters warned she was facing an IRS audit and possible arrest.
Over more than six months, the woman was persuaded to make eight gold purchases, each averaging about $200,000. After buying gold or withdrawing large sums of cash, she was instructed to photograph the items and hand them over to couriers at designated locations. The scammers falsely claimed the payments were necessary to resolve IRS-related issues.
Police described the strategy as a classic “pig butchering” scam, in which victims are manipulated over time into surrendering increasingly large amounts of money.
The scheme came to light after the victim’s husband noticed significant withdrawals from their bank accounts. Investigators later arrested Rashedul Islam Mohammod in connection with the case. His bond has been set at $500,000 cash.
Goodyear police say the investigation remains ongoing and warn of a rise in similar scams targeting elderly residents.
Authorities urge the public to verify customer service numbers directly from official company websites and to be cautious of requests to move conversations to other apps or platforms.
“If something feels off, stop and seek help,” police advised, emphasizing that government agencies will never request payments or communication through alternate apps.
