40-year-old Chetankumar Patel Posed As FBI Agent To Scam Victim Of $32K In Eau Claire, Police Arrested Suspect And Recovered The Cash

Patel arrested at hotel when he returned as Eau Claire police investigated an alleged scam involving $32,000.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. 

October 12, 2024

Eau Claire, Wisconsin - On Friday, the Eau Claire Police Department (ECPD) in a press release reported that on October 10, 2024, ECPD was called to assist with an Anoka County,  Minnesota missing persons case. That missing person was located at a hotel in Eau Claire. It was later learned this missing person came to Eau Claire to pay $32,000 to who they thought was an agent with the FBI. 

After the transfer of money was made, the victim learned this was a scam and reported it to police. When ECPD contacted the victim, they gave officers a description of the suspect. While officers were inside talking with hotel staff, the suspect walked into the lobby. 

Officers made contact with the suspect, identified as Chetankumar Patel, 40, and recovered the $32,000. Patel was then taken into custody and is charged with one felony count for Theft by False Representation. 

A similar case unfolded within the same week. ECPD was made aware of a fraud complaint after a tip came in from a local bank. It was learned that a customer of theirs had lost $60,000 in cash after an alleged "courier" came to the victim's apartment to pick it up. The victim told police the scam began with an email asking to renew their anti-virus program. The victim was then contacted by someone who claimed to be from the Better Business Bureau, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The victim was told they were part of a scam and needed to pay money. They would later meet a suspect to pay $29,500 they withdrew from their account. 

The next day, the victim was told to pay another $29,500 as the transaction didn't go through. The victim withdrew the money and paid a different suspect. 

The investigation continues on both of these cases. 

In the meantime, ECPD wants to alert the public on these fraud cases. It's important to know that the FBI will never contact you and ask you for money. The FBI and other agencies will also never ask you to keep these requests secret. If you ever have a question or hesitation about whether you are being scammed, take a moment, assess the situation and when in doubt, contact your local law enforcement.