A 22-year-old Chicago man was arrested in a police sting operation in Illinois after allegedly scamming a Paw Paw resident out of $40,000 last month. Parth C. Patel faces charges of theft by deception and attempted theft by deception following an investigation by the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
How the Scam Unfolded
The victim was initially contacted by someone claiming their Apple account had been hacked. The caller then transferred the victim to a person posing as an FBI agent, who claimed money was needed to help catch the supposed hacker. The Paw Paw resident agreed to hand over $40,000 in cash, which was collected from an address in the village on April 17 by an unidentified individual.
Second Attempt Leads to Arrest
The scam continued when the fake FBI agent contacted the victim again and requested an additional $28,500. Police became aware of the incident and launched an investigation. Detectives arranged a controlled cash pick-up for Monday after the victim was asked to provide the extra money. The operation led to Patel's arrest when he arrived to collect the cash. He was taken into custody and lodged at the Lee County Jail.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Patel has been charged with theft by deception involving between $10,000 and $100,000, a Class 2 felony under Illinois law, as well as attempted theft by deception involving the same amount, a Class 3 felony. He appeared before a judge and was released pending further court proceedings under Illinois' pretrial release law. A hearing in the case was scheduled for May 21.
