Crime & Safety

Man Surrenders Himself To Bloomfield Cops After $35K Scam Attempt: Police

The victim was told to give $35,000 in cash to a "representative from the Federal Trade Commission," police said.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Somerset resident surrendered himself to Bloomfield police after allegedly trying to scam someone out of $35,000 in cash, authorities reported Monday.

The Bloomfield Police Department released the following details about the incident, which took place on Feb. 15 and the resulting arrest, which took place on Sept. 8:

“The Bloomfield Police Department investigated a report of a theft by deception. The victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Capital One Bank. The person told the victim to bring $35,000 in cash to a certain location and give it to an alleged representative from the Federal Trade Commission. The victim arrived at the location and moments later an individual arrived in a vehicle to retrieve the cash. Bloomfield detectives reviewed video surveillance and utilized other investigative techniques.”

Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Mahir Patel, 26 of Somerset. An arrest warrant was issued for Patel, who turned himself in, police said.

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