Two men accused of posing as bank employees were arrested after they tried to persuade a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detective to withdraw thousands of dollars from his checking account, the agency said. Levi Cantarero and Shawn Hamilton made the call on October 27.
The detective suspected a scam and stayed on the line instead of hanging up. Other detectives joined in, and the call turned into an investigation, PBSO said.
The callers allegedly told the detective to hire an Uber driver to carry the money to Broward County and leave it beneath a parked vehicle. When Cantarero and Hamilton came to pick up the package, PBSO detectives and agents, assisted by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, moved in and arrested both men.
PBSO said scams like this happen often, and many victims do not catch them in time. Deputies urge residents never to share personal or banking information with an unverified caller and to be wary of anyone pressuring them to withdraw or transfer money. If a call seems wrong, hang up, verify the request independently and report it.
The charges are allegations, and the men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
