CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A Ukrainian national has been arrested after allegedly attempting to scam an elderly Cumberland County resident out of $50,000, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 18, the sheriff’s office, along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crimes Division, was alerted to a scam targeting a resident in the Midway community.
The victim reported receiving a phone call claiming they owed $50,000 to the Federal Trade Commission. The caller threatened that if the victim didn’t pay the sum, their Social Security number would be suspended.
Officials said the scammer also warned the victim not to discuss the situation with anyone, citing a fictitious “Privacy Protocol Act of 1974”—a tactic commonly used by fraudsters to isolate and pressure their targets.
Law enforcement quickly intervened and successfully executed a sting operation to arrest the suspect. Volodymyr Katauev, 25, was taken into custody and is currently being held under a $400,000 bond.
Authorities said he has been transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him.
