An older Sonoma County couple lost about $28,000 after scammers claimed a family member had been detained and needed money for legal expenses, deputies said.
The scam did not stay on the phone. According to CBS News Bay Area, the victims were told to send wire transfers, withdraw cash, and hand money to couriers at different locations around Sonoma County.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said the case matched a growing “courier scam” pattern, where fraudsters impersonate government officials, attorneys, or law enforcement and pressure victims into making immediate cash payments.
Deputies later arrested 40-year-old Marco Antonio Garcia-Hernandez of Los Banos after authorities said he came to the couple’s home to collect what scammers expected would be another package of money.
The Callers Claimed A Family Member Had Been Detained
The case began on May 29, when a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy responded to a fraud report involving an elderly couple, according to CBS News Bay Area.
The couple told investigators they had received repeated calls from unknown people claiming to be U.S. Customs officers. The callers said a family member had been detained and demanded money for legal expenses, deputies said.
That claim was not true, according to the sheriff’s office. But the fake emergency gave the victims very little time to think: a detained relative, a supposed federal officer, and urgent legal costs all pointed toward the same demand for money.
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The Scam Moved From Wire Transfers To Cash Couriers
Deputies said the callers first directed the couple through a series of wire transfers, then told them to withdraw cash and take it to couriers at different locations in Sonoma County.
A wire transfer can trigger fraud checks or leave a clearer electronic trail. A cash pickup moves the scam into the real world and can make the money harder to trace once it leaves the victim’s hands.
By the time deputies were involved, the couple had already lost about $28,000. Investigators determined that another courier was expected to come to the couple’s home, so deputies began monitoring the residence.
Deputies Were Watching When The Courier Arrived
Around 5:30 a.m. on May 30, one of the victims called the deputy and said an unknown man was knocking at the front door, CBS News Bay Area reported.
Deputies responded and contacted Garcia-Hernandez. Investigators said he told them he had been instructed through text messages and WhatsApp to travel to Sonoma County and collect a package from the victims’ home.
The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Garcia-Hernandez was acting as a courier within a larger organized fraud operation targeting elderly victims.
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant. Deputies said he was being held without bail.
The Arrest Does Not Mean The Whole Scam Is Over
The person who appears at the door may not be the same person who made the calls, invented the emergency, or directed the payments. That can make courier scams harder to unwind even after one arrest.
KSRO reported that Sonoma County authorities described the case as part of a growing scam targeting older adults after fraudsters posing as federal border officials defrauded the couple of more than $28,000.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to be cautious of unsolicited calls demanding money. The office said legitimate agencies will not demand immediate cash payments, and residents should never provide money or financial information to unknown callers.
The case remains under investigation, but deputies said the couple’s report allowed them to intercept the next pickup before more money left the home.