Man Accused Of Duping West Coast Victims Into Sending $43,000 To Massachusetts In Scams
SHARON (CBS) -- Sharon and Randolph police arrested a man who they say stole $43,000 from three people on the West Coast while running what they described as a Social Security number "warrant arrest scam."
On Wednesday, a woman in Washington state called Sharon Police saying she had fallen for a scam. She told them a person claiming to work for the Social Security Office by the name of Steven Whipp instructed her to send $23,000 in cash overnight to the Shaw's supermarket in Sharon. The box was addressed to a Louis Edgar.
During the investigation, police found another package with $10,000 also addressed to Louis Edgar at the Sharon Shaw's from a victim in Santa Barbara, California.
"These packages remained in Randolph, MA at the FedEx shipping center. Randolph PD and Sharon PD were able to arrest, suspect Utkarsh Thakur after he picked up the packages in Randolph using a fake CA driver's license with his picture on it under the name of Louis Edgar," police said.
Thakur is now charged with multiple felonies.
He allegedly admitted to also picking up a package at Walgreen's in Norfolk earlier that day by using the same name. It contained $10,000 cash from a third victim who lives in San Francisco.
Police said they found an additional $83,183 in cash inside Thakur's Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Scammers called using the numbers 210-588-0191, 830-274-7471, 830-217-3454, and 830-274-7071, police said.
If you are aware of similar incidents, call Sharon Police at 781-784-1587 or Randolph Police at 781-963-1212.
