A manager at Chemical Bank in Midland, Michigan, grew suspicious when he saw Marion Case, an 80-year-old customer, withdraw $25k from her account last December. Case told him she was going to mail it to someone who would then pass it along to her son. The manager, Carl Ahearn, “remained suspicious. He followed her as she walked to the nearby post office, where Case bought an Express Mail envelope addressed to a man in New Jersey. Ahearn shared his concerns with postal officials, who opened an investigation and arrested a man Monday for fraud.”

Elan Saraf, 45, of Newark, N.J., a flight attendant with Continental Airlines, was arrested Monday and charged with mail fraud as he landed in New Jersey on an international flight. Two other current or former Continental flight attendants are identified as having been involved in the alleged fraud, but have not been accused of wrongdoing.

“The investigation is still ongoing and the case has the potential to be much larger,” said Wylie Christopher, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Detroit.

“We’re just grateful that citizens are willing to go above and beyond to make sure those who do things wrong pay for their actions.”

“Midland banker’s suspicion thwarts $25,000 scam of 80-year-old” [Detroit News] (Thanks to dguralnick!)
(Photo: frankieleon)

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