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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man suspected of scamming an elderly woman by posing as a bank employee, with investigators linking him to other fraud cases.
According to investigators, the scam began with a phone call from someone pretending to be from Chase Bank. The caller claimed that a bank employee would visit the victim’s home, but deputies said it was part of the scheme.
Authorities identified the suspect as Alberto Stanley, who they said arrived at the victim’s home dressed in business attire and identified himself as a Chase employee.
Officials said Stanley told the woman that Chase Bank suspected fraud with her accounts and that a representative would come to collect her debit card. Deputies said the victim handed over her debit card, watched as Stanley cut it up, placed it in an envelope, and asked her to sign it.
The woman became suspicious and went to her local Chase branch, where she learned that nearly $2,400 had already been withdrawn from her accounts.
Detectives said the case matched other fraud investigations they were working on. Using surveillance footage, witness interviews, and the Flock camera system, they tracked Stanley’s vehicle later that day.
When deputies pulled him over, they said they found the signed envelope from the victim’s home along with thousands of dollars in cash. Authorities also said another victim has since come forward, reporting a similar scam.
Stanley is charged with grand theft and the fraudulent use of a victim’s personal identification.
“Whether it’s from the bank, the government, even a grandkid, like these scammers might even know the names of your family members. If it’s unsolicited, if it’s unexpected, that is a big red flag,” said Adam Klappholz, head of product for Zelle.
“The sense of urgency and the isolation is so that you don’t take a moment to contact your kid, to contact your grandkid, to contact a friend. But you need to sanity-check it with them. Don’t let them isolate you. Don’t fall victim to the sense of urgency. Reach out to someone else, get their perspective, and then only communicate with your financial institution through that authenticated channel.”
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