By: Richard L. Smith
Bloomfield Police announced the arrest of a man accused of scamming a victim out of $35,000 in a theft by deception scheme.
Authorities said the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to represent Capital One Bank.
The caller instructed the victim to bring $35,000 in cash to a designated location and hand it over to an alleged representative of the Federal Trade Commission.
When the victim arrived, an individual in a vehicle retrieved the cash. Detectives from the Bloomfield Police Department reviewed surveillance footage and conducted an extensive investigation, which ultimately led to the identification of the suspect, Mr. Mahir Patel.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Patel later turned himself in to police.
Bloomfield Police Chief George Ricci praised the work of investigators while urging residents to remain cautious.
“I would like to commend the members of our Detective Bureau for their investigation that led to this arrest,” Chief Ricci said. 
“Members of the public are targeted by scams almost daily. Please do not respond to any suspicious phone calls or text messages and never provide financial information over the phone unless to a trusted source.”