A 78-year-old Georgia resident surrendered $45,100 after receiving fraudulent calls from people posing as bank representatives and FBI agents. Investigators say the money was collected through repeated cash handoffs, including deliveries arranged through Uber.
The withdrawals and pickups unfolded over four days in May 2026, with money surrendered at locations in central Georgia. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office later examined banking, Uber and Cash App records while tracing the operation.
Investigators identified Stephen Rupert Hunter and Naylen J’Shon Bates as suspects. Hunter was taken into custody, while Bates remained wanted under active warrants when deputies made the investigation public.
WGXA reported the sheriff’s warning on Oct. 19, and WSB-TV also covered the allegations. Deputies cautioned that real banks and law-enforcement agencies do not ask people to withdraw cash and deliver it to a courier as part of an investigation.
Callers Claimed Capital One and the FBI Were Investigating the Victim’s Accounts
According to the sheriff’s account, people claiming to speak for Capital One and the FBI told the resident that the victim’s financial accounts were involved in a federal money-laundering inquiry. They instructed the resident to turn bank funds into cash and surrender it to people collecting the payments.
Six Checks Funded Cash Pickups Across Four Georgia Towns
The sheriff’s office said the victim cashed six checks between May 5 and May 8. The resulting $45,100 was handed over at collection locations in Monticello, Jackson, Locust Grove and McDonough.
Uber’s U.S. courier terms expressly prohibit sending money through its delivery marketplace, alongside gift cards and stolen goods.
Investigators said records associated with Uber and Cash App activity linked Bates to the case.
Hunter was booked into the Jasper County Jail on Oct. 15 on reported charges including theft by deception and exploitation of an elder person. Anyone with information about Bates’s whereabouts can contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 706-468-4912.
Georgia Law Covers Theft by Deception and Elder Financial Exploitation
Under Georgia Code 16-8-3, theft by deception includes obtaining another person’s property by intentionally creating or reinforcing a false impression of fact with the intent to deprive the owner of that property. The alleged bank and federal-agent impersonation is relevant to that legal distinction.
Georgia defines an elder person as someone aged at least 65 and addresses the improper use of an older person’s resources through deception or similar means. Under Section 16-5-102, qualifying knowing and willful exploitation is a felony with a statutory punishment of one to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both. Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What to Do if a Caller Claims the FBI Needs Your Money
In a September 2026 warning, the FBI described scammers who pose as government officials, claim the victim is connected to a crime and demand payment through cash couriers, wires or other methods. The agency reported nearly 61,000 government and law-enforcement impersonation complaints and more than $1.6 billion in losses from January 2025 through July 2026.
If someone claiming to represent a bank or federal agency says your funds must be withdrawn for an investigation, stop the transaction. Contact the bank through the number on your card or statement and verify any claimed federal contact using a publicly listed agency number, not the telephone number supplied by the caller. Do not hand money to a courier or order a package pickup on that person’s instructions.
Anyone who has already surrendered cash should notify the bank and local police immediately and file a complaint through IC3.gov. Preserve copies of cashed checks, withdrawal receipts, caller numbers, messages, pickup addresses, delivery confirmations and relevant app activity so investigators can reconstruct the handoffs.