Man Accused of Posing As Federal Agent, Draining Bank Accounts in $2,800,000 Gold Scam

A man from North Carolina has been arrested for allegedly executing a multimillion-dollar gold scheme.

Police say they intercepted a “controlled gold drop,” outside of a local Walmart, which led to a chase and the suspect – 29-year-old Florida resident Michael Francois – getting arrested, reports CBS17.

The report says authorities first started investigating a large-scale gold fraud operation when a suspect only known as “Lucas” and his associates convinced a victim that his bank accounts were compromised posing as federal agents and financial officials.

The bad actors would ask for and receive remote access to the victims’ cell phone and personal computer, instruct the victim to wire funds for purchasing gold through a specific firm and provide a photograph of the purchase, and then surrender the gold at a location near Walmart.

Authorities say the victim – an anonymous elderly person – was defrauded out of $2.8 million. Later, police set up a sting operation looking to catch the fraudsters, which led them to Francois, who initially fled from police, resulting in a car wreck that saw him suffer a head injury.

He was arrested and charged with numerous crimes related to fraud and fleeing law enforcement, including several felonies.

 

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