A Florida man is in custody after allegedly posing as an FBI agent and scamming an elderly victim out of thousands during a staged "investigation," according to police.
Between April 15 and 16, an elderly man in Pembroke Pines received a series of phone calls from someone pretending to be a Wells Fargo employee, according to the Pembroke Pines Police Department. The caller claimed the victim's bank account was tied to a federal investigation and urged him to cooperate by withdrawing and handing over large sums of cash to assist the "FBI."
Believing he was assisting with an FBI probe, the victim withdrew $35,000 on April 15 and another $20,000 on April 16, meeting a man who claimed to be an agent at multiple locations. That individual was later identified by police as 24-year-old Terol Castel Lyn.
The scam came to light when the victim's son discovered the suspicious activity and contacted police. Officers organized a surveillance operation for a scheduled drop on April 17. When Lyn arrived and spotted law enforcement, he attempted to flee but was caught in Fort Lauderdale shortly after.
Lyn was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft from an elderly person, fraud, fleeing and eluding, and drug possession. He remains held at the Broward County Main Jail.
Originally published on Latin Times
