$30K Phone Scam Unravels as Victim Hands Over Cash in Roswell

A Roswell man was scammed out of $30,000 in an elaborate phone scheme that lasted for months. The victim reported the incident to the Roswell police on August 11.

The scam started in mid-July when the man received a call from someone claiming to be with American Express. The caller informed him that someone was using his card and transferred the call to an individual who claimed to be with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The NYPD representative told the victim that his Bank of America account was linked to a money laundering investigation for a cartel, and he would be detained if he didn't provide information about his Fidelity Investments and Wells Fargo Bank accounts.

The scammer asked the man to send pictures of his bank balances, which he did. The caller then requested that he purchase a new phone so they could monitor him using the encrypted messaging app Signal. The man bought the phone for $1,200 and was promised a refund from the supposed officers.