Doral police say a 25-year-old Homestead man turned a bogus phone call into a $30,000 payday from an 83-year-old woman, at least until detectives caught up with him.
Investigators identified Kendall Roman Rivera as the suspect in what they describe as a phone impostor scheme that pressured the victim to pull cash from the bank and hand it to a waiting courier. Rivera now faces multiple felony counts, and detectives say surveillance footage and cellphone records linked him to the cash pickup.
The scheme began on Feb. 24, when the victim got a call warning that $30,000 was supposedly being moved out of her bank account. The caller instructed her to withdraw the money and deliver it to a person nearby. Police say she took out the cash from a Chase branch, then left it at a Marathon gas station. A man in a white Mercedes-Benz collected the envelope and later called her again, asking for even more money, which is when she realized she had been duped. Detectives say they used gas-station video, cellphone data and a photo lineup to identify Rivera, then conducted a March 17 traffic stop after surveilling his Homestead home, according to Local 10.
A Growing Playbook for Targeting Seniors
Federal authorities warn that scams like this are far from rare. Schemes that impersonate relatives or government officials and pressure older adults to hand over cash are widespread and increasingly cross borders. The Justice Department has prosecuted large “grandparent” call-center operations and notes that victims are often told to give cash to couriers or to wire funds overseas. The department also directs callers to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 for reporting and assistance, according to the Justice Department.
Felony Counts and What Comes Next
Rivera is charged with grand theft, exploitation of an elderly or disabled person and an organized scheme to defraud. Jail records show he is being held on $20,000 bond. Police say he was taken to the Doral station and declined to answer investigators’ questions. He was booked at Turner Guilford Knight, then transferred to the Metrowest Detention Center. Local prosecutors will decide whether to file formal indictments as the investigation moves forward, per Local 10.
How Families Can Fight Back Against Impostor Scams
Experts say one of the best defenses is to slow things down. They urge seniors and families to resist any pressure to act immediately, verify emergencies by calling relatives using a known phone number, and never hand cash to a courier or pay with gift cards or wire transfers. The FBI and its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) offer resources on how to recognize and report elder fraud, and victims are encouraged to contact IC3 and local police as soon as possible. The FBI’s elder-fraud guidance and the DOJ hotline are two places to start if you suspect a scam, according to the FBI.
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