Scammers targeted the wrong potential victim: a Florida detective.
Two suspects in South Florida, identified as Levi Cantarero and Shawn Hamilton, posed as bank employees and attempted to convince a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detective to withdraw thousands of dollars from his checking account, according to local law enforcement.
Recognizing the scam, the Palm Beach County detective, with assistance from fellow detectives, continued communicating with the suspects as part of an investigation.
The suspects instructed the detective to arrange for an Uber driver to transport what they believed was the victim’s money to Broward County. The driver was directed to leave the package beneath a parked vehicle.
When the suspects arrived to retrieve the package, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detectives and agents, with assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, moved in and took both suspects into custody.
Local law enforcement noted that unfortunately, scams like these happen far too often, and not every victim is as fortunate. As a reminder, law enforcement said never share personal or banking information with unverified callers, be cautious of anyone pressuring you to withdraw or transfer money, and when something doesn’t feel right, stop, verify and report it.
