💲Somerset man accused of scamming Bloomfield resident out of $35,000
💲Suspect allegedly posed as bank and FTC rep in cash handoff scheme
⚖️Same man charged in May for $50K computer scam targeting elderly victim
BLOOMFIELD — A man who police say tried to scam a resident out of $35,000 is no stranger to the scamming game.
The Bloomfield resident said someone claiming to be from Capital One Bank called and told them to bring cash to a certain location where they would meet a representative from the Federal Trade Commission. The resident handed over the cash after the rep arrived in a vehicle. The age of the resident was not disclosed.
Repeat scammer tied to earlier $50,000 computer fraud
Using surveillance footage, detectives identified the suspect as Mahir Patel, 26, of Somerset. He turned himself in on a charge of theft by deception.
Patel was charged by Egg Harbor Township police in May after an older man was scammed out of $50,000 to fix his computer. When Patel tried to get another $103,000 to “resolve a debt related to a hacked bank account,” the victim went to police…