Crime & Safety

Milton Man Loses Thousands of Dollars in Peru Embassy Scam

The following information was supplied by the Milton police department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

A Milton man who was just trying to help someone out who claimed to be a friend of us instead fell prey to a scam that cost him $3,100.

On Aug. 8 the Milton man got a call from a man who claimed to be someone he knew as a friend. The caller claimed he was vacationing in Lima, Peru with his wife. He said They met another couple from California, and went to a soccer game with them. He claimed that on the way back from the game, local police stopped them and searched their car, finding drugs in it. To be bailed out, the caller asked the Milton resident to wire $3,000 to a third party in Peru. And a phone number was given of an "Agent Farley," who was to be called after the money was sent.

Not long after the local resident called, "Agent Farley" called back and said there was a problem with the money transfer. The local resident got wise, asking the man if he was asking for more money before hanging up and calling Milton police.

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Milton police investigators called the number and asked the "agent" why he was calling people in Milton asking for money. Tellingly, the man said, "I never said, I was from the embassy," even though the investigator never said anything about the embassy.

A call to the U.S. State Department revealed that they knew there was a scam going on with callers claiming to be from the U.S. embassy in Peru. The federal official told Milton police that the victim can make a report to the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. He also advised that no overseas U.S. embassy uses a toll free number.

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Mystery Bank Account Opened in Woman's Name

A Milton woman learned from Chase Bank that someone had opened an account in her name, and at one point had deposited $8,000 into the account before closing the account.

Someone had used her Social Security number, name and date of birth to open the account on March 6, she told Milton police on Aug. 11. The account was closed on May 30.

Chase Bank advised her to report the identity fraud to police, who also advised her to report it to all three credit bureaus.

Milton Resident Returns iPhones Ordered in Her Name

Another Milton resident learned someone committed identity fraud using her name when the people renting a home she owns called her to let her know a FedEx shipment had arrived.

When she stopped by the home to pick up the package, she discovered it contained four iPhones from Verizon. Someone had used her identity to open up an account with Verizon on July 25, and the phones arrived at her rental property two days later. She returned the phones to Verizon and had the company cancel the account that day. On Aug. 6 she reported it to Milton police, according to an incident report.

For questions about this blotter, email Bob Pepalis.


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