The Eau Claire Police Department is warning the public of fraud cases.
An Anoka County missing persons case led Eau Claire Police officers to solving a fraud case. Officers found the missing person in a Eau Claire hotel who was there to pay who they believed to be an FBI agent. The fraud suspect entered the hotel as police spoke with hotel staff and was identified as 40-year-old Chetankumar Patel. Police recovered 32-thousand-dollars. Below is the information directly from the ECPD:
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. CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THE ECPD.
