Arrest made in $86,500 fraud case following reverse sting operation

An arrest was made following a reserve sting operation conducted by Dartmouth Police and an agent from the FBI after a resident reported being scammed out of $86,500.

Arman Verma, 21, of Queens now faces charges for attempting to commit a crime of larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses, larceny under $1,200 and conspiracy.

Detective Kyle Berube spoke with the victim, who explained that during the last weeks of May, she received several phone calls from an unidentified male who claimed to work for “Bank of America” and “Microsoft.”

The unidentified male stated that the victim's bank account and computer had been compromised and she would need to hand over cash to fix the problem. 

Over the following weeks, the man called the victim several times, and on five separate occasions, sent a different individual to pick up substantial amounts of cash from the victim at her residence in Dartmouth. 

Prior to picking up the money, the victim was instructed to take a picture of the cash and send it to an email address which was provided to her. 

On Wednesday, June 4, the unidentified male contacted the victim requesting an additional $30,000. The victim immediately contacted the Dartmouth Police who organized a reverse sting operation that led to the arrest of Verma.

Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque said, “This arrest is the result of outstanding investigative work and a testament to our commitment to protecting our community from financial predators.”

He noted, “Money scams and financial fraud pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our community and will not be tolerated. The Dartmouth Police Department is committed to investigating every report of financial deception, holding perpetrators accountable and protecting our residents from those who seek to exploit them for personal gain.” 

Additionally, the department would like to remind the public to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited communications or requests for money and urges residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately. The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with additional information regarding fraudulent activity is encouraged to contact Detective Kyle Berube at 508-910-1760.