Two men in US on visas charged in $25K bank scam targeting York County SC couple: Sheriff
Two men in the United States from Asia on work and tourist visas are charged in a $25,000 bank scam that targeted a York County couple, authorities said Thursday.
Deputies arrested Sumind Singh, 36, and Mohammed Mohsin, 28, Monday for obtaining money or property under false pretenses and criminal conspiracy, according to a statement from York County Sheriff Tony Breeden, arrest warrants, an incident report and jail records.
Singh is originally from Bangladesh and Mohsin is from India, according to deputies. It is unclear how long both have been in the country.
The two allegedly came to York County from another state this week to try and steal the money before police foiled the scheme. Deputies arrested both men Monday after the targeted couple called 911 after becoming suspicious about calls asking for the money, sheriff’s office documents show.
The victims told law enforcement a man called, claiming their Microsoft account and Wells Fargo bank account had been hacked, according to the statement and incident report. A second call followed from a person falsely claiming to be a Wells Fargo employee, who instructed the couple to withdraw $25,000 and hand it over to a courier who would come to their home, the statement said.
Deputies went to the victims’ home on Holly Road, then took both suspects into custody after a traffic stop, deputies said.
Sheriff: New type of scam
“This is a new and alarming method that scammers are using to steal money from people,” Breeden said in the release. “This arrest demonstrates our commitment to protecting our victims and all citizens. These individuals made the right choice by calling us, which allowed us to apprehend the suspects before they could steal from anyone else.”
Both suspects remain in the York County jail.
This week’s scam arrests are the second in just the past three months involving out of state fraud allegations. In December, deputies arrested Shulong Li, 43, of New York, in Fort Mill after a separate $40,000-plus scam involving a fake claim about a family member arrested on drug charges. Li remains jailed in York County while his criminal case is pending.
Police have warned the public for several months about phone scams involving fake claims about jury service, loved ones in jail, and other phony schemes.
