Shelby County deputies say a slick-sounding legal help operation was anything but legit, ending this week with two arrests and a trail of Memphis residents who allegedly paid thousands for help they never got.
According to investigators, the scheme funneled community members to specific individuals who posed as legal professionals, collected hefty fees, and then allegedly delivered nothing in return.
Investigation and arrests
According to Country Herald, a complaint that came in on Sunday was enough to launch a full investigation. Detectives say they soon identified 41-year-old Candice Eddins as a key coordinator of the alleged scam.
Investigators allege Eddins worked with another 41-year-old, Derrick Thomas, who was inside the Shelby County jail. The pair is accused of steering multiple victims into paying thousands of dollars for supposed legal services that never materialized.
Scam tactics police warn about
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office notes that scam operations like this often lean hard on legal jargon and impersonation, trying to sound official while turning up the pressure. One big red flag, the office says, is when someone insists you pay with gift cards, money-transfer apps, or cryptocurrency, tactics that make it far harder to claw your cash back later…