Aurora Police: Scammers Targeted Juvenile Victims Using Social Media
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) -- Police say three people tricked a 16-year-old boy into giving them his bank account information, then deposited forged money orders into the account and withdrew the cash before officials figured out they were fake.
"The victim was promised a small portion of the cash in exchange for the use of their account," Aurora police stated. "Instead, the victim was held financially responsible for the returned lost funds."
"The suspects in this scam used social media to contact the victim and enticed him to provide his banking information," police stated.
The suspects were identified as Hussein Farah, 23, Abdihakiin Hassan, 19, and a 16-year-old male. No other information will be released on the teen suspect. They face charges including money laundering, identity theft and forgery.
Investigators have already found other victims and believe there may be more.
"The Aurora Police Department urges parents to speak with their children because we believe there may be other victims of this scheme," officials stated. "Victims may be hesitant to come forward due to a fear of being criminally charged. However, the APD and District Attorney's Office will review each case and may take the stance, as they did in this case, that these are innocent victims that have been coerced by the suspects into the scheme."
If you have information about this case, please contact Investigator Myshell Bolton at 303.739.6142. Tipsters can also remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 by contacting Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867).
