BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Police Department has arrested a suspect in a bank fraud scam case that stole over $50,000 from a 72-year-old victim. Police say in this investigation, they beat the scammers at their own game.
Officials learned that the scammer in this case used fear and intimidation tactics to convince the elderly victim that multiple accounts had been compromised.
Tactics the suspect used on the victim included: to stay on the phone with "bank employees" throughout the process, place her bank cards in sealed envelopes in her mailbox, FaceTime and share her screen, deny any new fraud alerts, create multiple rideshare, retail, and money transfer accounts, and make several cash withdrawals from her bank to deliver to couriers.
In response to the fraud, Boise Police detectives decided to give the scammer a taste of their own medicine.
Police say that through "thoughtful coordination with detectives," the victim joined a FaceTime with the suspects while making fake withdrawals from multiple banks.
Suspect Sarai Delmas-Talley made a return flight to Boise, planning to pick up another $40,000 from the victim. Police then contacted the rideshare driver at the victim's home and learned where the suspect would be picking up the money.
Officers arrived at the pick-up spot, in a parking lot on Overland and Orchard, and arrested the suspect.
Following an investigation, Delmas-Talley was booked into the Ada County Jail on multiple charges, police say.
BPD's Financial Crimes Unit and Retail Crimes Unit say they are responding to more frequent calls regarding cases of bank scammers.
Officials applaud the victim for coming forward, saying that these scams are made to make victims wary of notifying authorities.
"As a reminder, your bank will NEVER use complicated tactics like these as a response to fraudulent charges," BPD says.
Police say that victims should always hang up and go into their nearest branch or call the bank directly through the number listed on their website.
