PAW PAW — Lee County deputies said a Chicago man was arrested after an investigation into a financial scam that targeted a Paw Paw resident and led to tens of thousands of dollars being handed over to a suspect. Authorities said deputies learned April 26th that the victim had been contacted by someone claiming their Apple account was hacked and was then transferred to a person posing as an FBI agent who demanded money to catch the hacker. The victim agreed and gave $40,000 to an unknown person who picked up the cash April 17th at a Paw Paw address. The suspect later requested another $28,500, and on April 27th deputies set up an operation for the pickup. Police said 22-year-old Parth C. Patel of Chicago was taken into custody and charged with theft by deception between $10,000 and $100,000 and attempted theft by deception between $10,000 and $100,000. Patel was taken to the Lee County Jail and later released with a notice to appear. Officials remind residents to report suspicious activity to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers.
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