Weston Police Help Get Florida Men Charged With Wire Fraud

WESTON, MA — A multi-state wire fraud scam was stopped with four Florida men charged, thanks in part to the help of the Weston Police Department's Detective Unit. The department said Weston residents had been victims of the scam.

The four Florida men were charged with the fraudulent abuse of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Informed Delivery electronic notification system. Informed Delivery is a free electronic notification service provided by the USPS that gives residential and P.O. Box customers the ability to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages.

According tot he DOJ, the men got the victims’ personal identifying information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses on the “dark web” and then used the information to open credit cards in the victims’ names. They would then sign up for the Informed Delivery service with the victims' information and a fake email to track the delivery of the cards and take them from the mailboxes before the victims ever knew. The DOJ said the men spent over $1.2 million with the cards.

Weston police said the detective unit played "an instrumental role in collecting video evidence and collaborating with multiple agencies to help bring this case to a close."

The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.