Man impersonating FBI agent arrested, missing person found in Eau Claire, Wis., in fraud scam

Police in Eau Claire, Wis., solved two cases at once when they found a person missing out of Anoka County and arrested a suspect who allegedly scammed that person out of $32,000.

It all unfolded Thursday when Eau Claire police went to a hotel in the city about 90 miles east of the Twin Cities and found the person who was the subject of a missing persons case and learned that person had given money to a man posing as an FBI agent.

The missing person called Eau Claire police after realizing the money transfer was a scam. Officers went to the hotel after getting a description of the suspect from the victim. While on-site talking with hotel staff, the suspect walked into the lobby and police made an arrest, according to Shannon Hoyt with Eau Claire police.

The 40-year-old suspect, identified by police as Chetankumar Patel, was charged with theft by false representation, police said

Police recovered the $32,000, Hoyt said.

Police helping Anoka County authorities with the missing persons case have not disclosed any information about the victim.

This was the second case of fraud in Eau Claire within a week. In a different case, a victim lost $60,000 that started with an email about renewing an antivirus program. The victim was then contacted by somebody posing as a representative of the Better Business Bureau and later the FBI. The victim was told they were part of a scam and needed to pay $29,500.

The victim withdrew the money from a bank account and handed it to a “courier” who came to their apartment to pick it up, Hoyt said. The next day, the victim was told the transaction did not go through and needed to pay another $29,500. The victim withdrew the cash and gave it to a different suspect, Hoyt said.

Police are reminding the public that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies will not call and ask for money or ask that those types of requests remain secret.

“If you ever have a question or hesitation about whether you are being scammed, take a moment, assess the situation and when in doubt, contact your local law enforcement,” Eau Claire police said in a Facebook posting.