An Ojai woman nearly fell victim to a fraudulent scheme when a con artist posing as a Wells Fargo Bank employee convinced her to mail $10,000, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office reported. The suspect, who called himself "Christopher Anderson," told the 66-year-old female victim that her credit card had been used fraudulently in Florida. He managed to persuade her to believe that she needed to close her account and urgently send funds to an address in the Sunshine State. The Sheriff's Office informed that fearing financial ruin, the victim complied and mailed the requested amount.
The deception was detected and an Ojai patrol deputy was dispatched to the 900 block of Pleasant Avenue on February 20 following a report of fraud/theft by false pretenses. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office teamed up with the United States Postal Service Investigators to address the matter quickly. Their joint effort led to the interception of the victim's cash before it reached Florida. According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, "The victim was contacted and her money returned."
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office utilized the situation to express gratitude for the public's ongoing support and proactive role in assisting with crime resolution. They emphasized the importance of community partnerships in enhancing their effectiveness, "We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships," said in the media release.
Furthermore, the Ventura County Crime Stoppers program is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. They assure potential informants that calls to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) are not recorded, and the callers can remain anonymous if they so choose.
