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Spanish Fort police report arrest after resident lost more than $400,000 to scam
Summary
Police reported that a resident lost over $400,000 to a scam over three weeks; investigators, with FBI assistance, arrested a suspect who entered the city’s jurisdiction and the investigation is continuing.
Spanish Fort police told the council on June 10 that investigators working with the FBI were able to take a suspect into custody after a local resident lost more than $400,000 to a scam over about three weeks.
Police said most scam operations are out-of-jurisdiction or international, but this case presented an opportunity to arrest someone when the person entered the city. The department credited the detective and officers for their work recovering evidence and effecting an arrest; the chief said the case will require additional investigation.
Chief Barber (as identified in the meeting) described the loss as “over $400,000 in three weeks,” called the case “very sad,” and praised the department and FBI for securing a custody transfer when possible. The chief also noted that such arrests are rare in these types of cases and that most scams originate outside the local area.
What’s next: the department continues its investigation and did not provide further case details in open session.
