Minnesota Forum

Anoka County Sheriffs office: 10.10 The caller advised that her husband had received a suspicious phone call at around 130 pm. She stated that she overheard him giving out his social security number, banking information, home address, and other personal information. She stated that he advised her that he was on the phone with Amazon and they advised his account was charged and they would need to issue a refund. She stated that the male then advised him that the FBI needed to speak with him and had another male speak to him who had a foreign accent. She stated that he then got up and went out to his truck where he sat there for 20 minutes before he drove off. She had tried to call him but he did not answer. I then attempted to call him and I was able to make contact. He advised me that he was not allowed to talk because the FTC had told him there is a gag order. I advised him that this was a scam and to not give out any money. He advised me he already gave someone named "Brian" $32K. He stated he was at a Super 8 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and that the male arranged a meeting where he handed the money off in the parking lot. The male then went back inside the Super 8. The deputy contacted Eau Claire PD and asked them to respond out to the Super 8. Eau Claire later advised they had a male in custody and were able to retrieve the $32K and return it to the husband.

Eau Claire PD: **Fraud Alert**

On October 10, 2024, ECPD was called to assist with an Anoka County missing persons case. That missing person was located at a hotel in Eau Claire. It was later learned this missing person came to Eau Claire to pay $32,000 to who they thought was an agent with the FBI.
After the transfer of money was made, the victim learned this was a scam and reported it. When ECPD contacted the victim, they gave officers a description of the suspect. While officers were inside talking with hotel staff, the suspect walked into the lobby.
Officers contacted the suspect, identified as Chetankumar Patel, 40, and recovered the $32,000. Patel was then taken into custody and is charged with felony Theft by False Representation.
A similar case unfolded within the same week. ECPD was made aware of a fraud complaint after a tip came in from a local bank. It was learned that a customer of theirs had lost $60,000 in cash after an alleged "courier" came to the victim's apartment to pick it up. The victim told police the scam began with an email asking to renew their anti-virus program. The victim was then contacted by someone who claimed to be from the Better Business Bureau, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The victim was told they were part of a scam and needed to pay money. They would later meet a suspect to pay $29,500 they withdrew from their account.

The next day, the victim was told to pay another $29,500 as the transaction didn't go through. The victim withdrew the money and paid a different suspect.

The investigation continues on both of these cases.
In the meantime, ECPD wants to alert the public on these fraud cases. It's important to know that the FBI will never contact you and ask you for money. The FBI and other agencies will also never ask you to keep these requests secret. If you ever have a question or hesitation about whether you are being scammed, take a moment, assess the situation and when in doubt, contact your local law enforcement.