A Georgia inmate and his associate have been indicted on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded a Florida resident out of over $12,000.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the indictment of Anthony Sanders, 28, an inmate in a Georgia prison, and Marlita Andrews, 28, of Macon, Georgia, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
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According to court documents, Sanders and Andrews conspired to defraud a victim in Sarasota, Florida. The victim received a call from a scammer impersonating a Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy, claiming a warrant had been issued for her arrest due to missed jury duty. To avoid arrest, the victim was directed to a supposed “Bonding Transition Center” – actually a Bitcoin ATM – to make a payment.
Following the scammer’s instructions, the victim deposited over $12,000 into three separate accounts as cryptocurrency. The funds were then quickly transferred to a Bitcoin wallet belonging to Andrews and subsequently dispersed into various other accounts.
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The investigation revealed that Sanders, using illicit prepaid phones within the Georgia prison, directed Andrews on where to send the proceeds of the scam and even instructed her to purchase and send him prepaid phones via drone.
This type of scam, where individuals impersonate law enforcement or court officials to extort money from victims under the threat of arrest, is becoming increasingly common. Scammers often use personal information about the victim and spoof caller IDs to appear legitimate.
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