Scammer accused of taking more than $100k from Pennington County resident
PENNINGTON COUNTY, S.D. (KEVN) - An elderly resident of Pennington County fell victim to a scam that resulted in the loss of over $100,000. Following a subsequent investigation, law enforcement was notified and 31-year-old Abdul Waheed Mohammed was arrested in Rapid City on September 26, 2023.
Mohammed reportedly posed as a member of law enforcement and demanded money in exchange for the resolution of false warrants. He was caught and charged with grand theft, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit grand theft, aiding and abetting or advising grand theft, and abuse of an elderly adult.
Mohammed is not a resident of South Dakota and law enforcement is still working to determine his actual residence.
“Due to the unfortunate frequency and predatory nature of these crimes, this is an important arrest.” Lieutenant Paul Stevens continues, “Our investigative team is happy we were able to stop further losses from this victim and make this arrest.”
Local law enforcement would like to remind the public to be aware of these types of scams. The Pennington County Warrants Division generally does not solicit over the phone to collect warrants or fees. Any time you get a call from law enforcement demanding or soliciting money over the phone, you should be skeptical. Hang up and call law enforcement directly at (605) 394-6117. Do not fall for these scams! Anyone can confirm if you have an outstanding warrant by looking on the website: www.pennco.org/warrantsearch.
This is an active and ongoing investigation. Assisting agencies with the arrest include the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Homeland Security Investigations is involved with the investigation.
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