Scammers didn’t lock down for the pandemic, and they’re not taking a holiday.
Indian River Shores Public Safety Director Richard Rosell said his detectives are investigating about dozen scam call reports from residents of the barrier island community in recent weeks.
Don’t be duped!:Beware of these scams
“We do our best to educate the public, and we visit our homeowners associations to tell them about the scams, but not everyone is aware,” Rosell said. “Or a better way to put it, people let their guard down.”
As scammers reuse the same methods in their phone calls the last several years, they’re also utilizing new schemes, some involving ride-sharing services.
But one scammer, collared by Indian River Shores detectives who flew to New York to take him into custody, will face his day in court. Law enforcement agencies often struggle to find the culprits in these cases because the perpetrators are overseas.
Extradition from New York
Detectives learned in January about one Indian River Shores resident who fell prey to a scamming suspect later identified as Welinton Cedano. The Public Safety Department said Cedano used a common phone scheme where he pretended to be a utility representative who claimed the resident was in danger of losing service unless an immediate payment was made through the Venmo payment service.
Be it Florida Power & Light or the municipal water or electric companies, utility officials commonly advise residents that payments to avoid cutoffs will not…
