DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies warned seniors to be wary of scammers on Thursday, citing the recent arrest of a man accused of posing as a bank employee in a $20,000 phone scam.
Deputies took Omari Burke, 22, of Deerfield Beach, into custody at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Sept. 16.
According to arrest documents, a 74-year-old Alabama man reported receiving a call from someone he thought was an employee at Wells Fargo and was later joined by a bank “investigator” who claimed that someone was trying to withdraw $20,000 from his account.
“I kind of went into a panic mode,” the victim said in audio released by BSO on Thursday. “And they said they’re trying to catch the scammers and stuff. And they had me running all over town and checking out my accounts and getting deposits, figuring out what was in my checking account and all that.”
The man said the scammers sent messages that appeared to be “authentic.”
Eventually, the man did what the scammers asked, deputies said: He withdrew $20,000 in cash and shipped it to an address in Deerfield Beach. They said investigators traced the money to Burke, who posted a photo “on social media bragging about the money he received from the scam.”
“It drained my savings account one time and put me in kind of a financial hurt,” the victim said. “My freaking money ― and I tried everything in the world to get it stopped, but I couldn’t stop it."
Following his arrest at FLL, Burke faced charges of obtaining property over $20,000 by fraud, money laundering, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, defrauding a financial institution and grand theft on a person 65 years of age or older.
The victim, in the audio shared by BSO, offered advice to others.
“I was stupid, and I should have never done it, and now I’m paying the price,” he said. “Don’t ever just take somebody’s word on the phone.”
Records show Burke remained at the BSO Main Jail on Thursday on a $112,500 bond.
If he posts bond, he’ll have to prove that the funds came from a legitimate source.
Deputies asked anyone who believes they were scammed and lives in one of BSO’s patrol areas to call 954-764-4357.
The agency offered a list of scam prevention tips in a news release about the case.
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