Man scammed out of $40,000 by fake DEA agent

DONIPHAN, Mo. (KAIT) - Francis Wheeler holds a wealth of knowledge. An avid reader and author, he has many stories to tell. One story that he never thought he would have to share is how he was scammed out of $40,000.

It all began when Wheeler received a text message from what appeared to be the fraud department of his credit card company. He called the number provided and was referred to what he was told was a federal agency.

Wheeler then started receiving texts from someone claiming to be with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The person sent Wheeler an image of an agent’s ID card and photos of a federal warrant for his arrest with a list of crimes.

“Drug trafficking, money laundering, and theft by deception,” Wheeler said.

Although he knew he didn’t do these things, Wheeler was worried he was going to go to jail for something he didn’t do.

Then the DEA agent asked for money.

“He said you need to get some cash, but you need to put your fingerprints on every bill so that if they are caught with the money, they can fingerprint the money,” Wheeler said.

The so-called DEA agent texted and called Wheeler constantly to get him to go to the bank and withdraw the requested cash.

“Call me once you reach the parking lot of the bank,” one message read.

“I’m trying to get a hold of you,” another said.

“But you’re not speaking.”

“Complete the wire transfer.”

Wheeler ended up getting $40,000 in cash from his bank and was told someone would come to his house to collect it. He was given a password and told to go outside to meet with the man and give him the money.

“He gave me the password, and stupidly, I handed him my money,” Wheeler said.

After the encounter, Wheeler contacted his family. It was his daughter’s husband who first suggested that all of this wasn’t real.

“Louis was in the background listening, and he said, ‘You’ve been scammed,’” Wheeler said of his son-in-law.

Warning signs in fake documents

Wheeler contacted the FBI and then reached out to Ripley County Sheriff Rad Talbert.

“He said, ‘This is fake,’” Wheeler said. “I’d been had.”

The arrest warrant sent to Wheeler had signs that it was fake. The name and address had been blocked out, Wheeler’s last name was lowercase, and Doniphan was lowercase in the address line. Wheeler struggles to see the small script on his cell phone, and he didn’t notice the discrepancies.

Wheeler had no reason to believe this person wasn’t real. They even sent him an ID from the DEA.

Talbert said if anyone with any agency contacts you asking for personal information or money, call a verified phone number for that agency immediately.

“See if this is really true. They [the scammers] do their homework. You need to do your homework,” Talbert said, adding that 99% of the time it’s a scam. “If there’s any doubt at all, and you think it could be true, check with law enforcement. We would rather do what we can to make sure you don’t get scammed for thousands of dollars.”

Once your money has been sent to the scammer, it’s gone. The chances of getting it back are slim.

The sheriff’s office has turned Wheeler’s case over to federal agencies, hoping they can find the scammer.

“This is a person we really need to catch if they’re going to people’s homes,” Talbert said.

Wheeler doesn’t expect to see that money again. He just hopes someone else will hear his story and take the right steps to prevent becoming a victim.

“I had no idea anyone would do anything like this to me,” Wheeler said.

The Ripley County Sheriff’s Office checked cameras surrounding Wheeler’s house to help identify the vehicle the scammer was driving, with no luck. Now, the sheriff’s office is waiting for progress from the federal agencies now involved.

If you are scammed, here are some first steps to take:

• If the scam was through a credit card or bank, contact the financial institution to explain the situation and dispute the charges.
• Contact your local police department or sheriff’s office.
• File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

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