Tulare police arrested a Los Angeles man linked to a scam that defrauded an elderly woman of thousands, with ties to international suspects. (GV Wire File)
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A Los Angeles man was arrested Thursday in connection with a scam that defrauded a 79-year-old woman out of thousands of dollars after falsely claiming her grandson had been arrested, the Tulare Police Department reported.
The victim contacted the Tulare police on Wednesday after realizing she had been lied to by a caller posing as a bail bondsman.
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The suspect convinced her to pay $9,600 for her grandson’s release and arranged for a courier to collect the money from her home. Suspecting fraud, the victim later confirmed with family members that her grandson had not been arrested.
The following day, the suspect contacted the victim again, demanding an additional $22,000. After negotiation, the amount was reduced to $5,000.
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Detectives Follow Courier to the Suspect
Tulare police officers conducted surveillance at the victim’s residence, where a male courier arrived to collect the money.
Detectives followed the driver, an Uber contractor unaware of the scam, to a restaurant in Castaic, California.
There, the suspect, identified as Manuel Rivera Cueto, 24, of Los Angeles, attempted to flee with the money but was arrested.
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Evidence tied to the initial $9,600 transaction was found in Cueto’s vehicle. He admitted to participating in the scam and claimed the operation’s main orchestrators were in the Dominican Republic.
Cueto also revealed he had acted as a “mule” in similar schemes about 10 times.
Police discovered Cueto had an outstanding warrant in Las Vegas for 14 counts of theft by false pretenses. He was booked into the Tulare County Jail pending further investigation.
Authorities urge residents to remain vigilant against scams targeting the elderly and to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
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