Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Zelle Fraud Case

24-year-old Kader Gahmaal Biwaki Edmond pleaded guilty to his role in a Zelle scheme that defrauded victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars, a United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut revealed in a press release.

The scam, which took place between February 2021 and August 2023, saw Edmond and others pose as bank representatives in order to trick victims out of their hard-earned money.

After being arrested on August 31, 2023, Edmond pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut. Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.

Edmond has been released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, and the FBI is currently investigating the case further.

The scam involved victims receiving fraudulent text messages posing as the victim’s bank, asking them to confirm a recent transaction. Upon denying the transaction, the victim would receive a call from someone impersonating a bank representative. This scam caller would tell the victim that they need to reverse the transaction by making a payment to what they believe is their own account. But that account was actually created and controlled by the fraudsters.

Prosecutors say Edmond’s scheme defrauded around $250,000 from victims.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned the public not to hand out account details to anyone who contacts you, avoid sending payments to claim any supposed prizes, and protect your accounts using multi-factor authentication in an effort to avoid such scams.