A Palm Beach woman, aged 74, has reportedly been defrauded out of more than $22,000 in what appears to be a months-long wire fraud scheme, involving a Miami man and his alleged associate known by the moniker “Fat Boy”; this incident underscores a disconcerting pattern of financial scams targeting the elderly in the area. According to CBS12, the unauthorized transactions began in August of 2024 and were uncovered by the victim after reviewing her Fidelity investments account to find 54 unauthorized withdrawals made under the guise of “Debit TD Bank Web Pay”.
The investigation by the Palm Beach Police Department pointed to Ricardo Savoix, a 34-year-old from Opa-locka, as the man behind the scheme, having received paychecks from a Miami auto paint store that allowed detectives, through a subpoenaed Planet Fitness account and interviews, to track his workplace, the police connected the dots between Savoix, a number of fraudulent wire transfers, and another two smaller payments under “Debit Planet Fitness Club Fees” as well as a bogus check for $549. In a development on July 28, it was Savoix who, according to police, claimed his friend “Fat Boy” approached him with a plan to funnel money into his bank account, after which they would split the proceeds, Port St. Lucie Talks reports.
The impact of this crime extends beyond the immediate loss of funds, as it adds to the string of wire fraud cases across South Florida where older adults are often the choice victims for cyber criminals looking to exploit their financial accounts, in this larger context of fraudulent activity in the region, law enforcement agencies continue to investigate and are working tirelessly to bring the culprits to justice. Savoix now faces several criminal charges including grand theft, uttering a forged check, and criminal use of personal identification information, and has been detained in Palm Beach County Jail without the option of bond as authorities are still in search of his accomplice, “Fat Boy”…