A 47-year-old Volusia County man, identified as Taufiq Mohammed Kailani, has been arrested for allegedly using romance and business email scams to steal over $60,000 from a construction company.
The investigation began in December 2020 when two construction companies reported suspicious emails related to their joint project. FDLE and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office determined that one of the company’s email accounts had been hacked.
Authorities say Kailani impersonated an employee of one company using a business email compromise scheme, tricking the other company into wiring $60,725 into a fraudulent bank account. To make the emails appear legitimate, he attached a counterfeit bank letter.
Law enforcement also stated that an elderly victim, befriended by Kailani through a romance scam, was used to withdraw the stolen funds and transfer them to him.
On March 16, Kailani was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and booked into Volusia County Jail with a $1,500,000 bond. He faces charges of organized fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. The case will be prosecuted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
