Three Men Arrested For Trying to Scam Thousands From Maine Bank Accounts

The authorities have arrested three men, all from New York, for allegedly attempting to steal thousands of dollars from Maine bank accounts.

According to an article on the WMTW website, a representative for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says Wiscasset Police were called to the First National Bank around 1:30 Friday afternoon, January 16th, for a report of attempted fraud.

Investigators say a man walked in pretending to be a real customer, using that person’s information on a fake military ID, and tried to pull $6,700 from the account.

Fortunately for the real account holder, it didn’t work.  Police say the man couldn’t answer the account’s security questions and eventually left the bank empty-handed.

Officers say he was wearing a white leather jacket, using a cane, and had an earpiece. According to police, those details line up with tactics often used in organized imposter fraud schemes.

Here’s where it gets interesting.  Police say the same man tried the exact same thing at a Boothbay Harbor bank about 30 minutes earlier using the same victim’s account information.

A photo from a bank security camera was shared with nearby agencies.  Not long after, the suspect was spotted getting into a black SUV near a bank in Brunswick.

Brunswick Police stopped the vehicle and identified the occupants as George Mendez, 66, Miguel Molinar, 35, and Leigh A. Jackson, 34, all from Brooklyn, New York.

Police say all three were carrying fake IDs, including fictitious passports, military ID cards, and state-issued licenses.

Investigators also found notes containing sensitive customer information, leading them to believe there could be additional victims.

*NOTE - All suspects are considered innocent until being found guilty in a court of law

All three are charged with theft by deception, misuse of identification, and criminal conspiracy.  They were taken to the Two Bridges Jail and are each being held on $10,000 bail.