Fake Bank Callers Wanted $6,000 From a Sheriff's Detective. Police Were Watching the Pickup
Image Credit: Palm Beach Sheriff's Office.
A caller pretending to work for PNC Bank warned a Palm Beach County sheriff's detective that someone was taking $6,000 from his account. By the end of the day, an Uber package that the callers believed held the cash was under surveillance in Broward County, although the detective had never withdrawn the money.
Levi John Cantarero, 20, of Fort Pierce, allegedly retrieved the package from beneath a parked car in Pompano Beach.
Shawn Hamilton, 31, of Port St. Lucie, was driving the BMW that arrived for the collection, according to sworn arrest affidavits. Deputies arrested both men on October 27, 2026.
Both men now face felony grand theft and fraud charges in Palm Beach County. Cantarero was released on bond the following morning, while Hamilton received a total bond of $250,000 with restrictions that would apply if he were released.
Caller Claimed a Woman Was Taking $6,000 From the Detective's Account
Court-filed account of a caller falsely claiming an attempted $6,000 withdrawal from a Palm Beach sheriff's detective's bank account. - Document Credit: Palm Beach County Circuit Court, case 50-2026-CF-008085-AXXX-MB, docket entry 5, affidavit page 1.
At about 3:01 p.m. on October 27, a caller introduced himself as a PNC Bank employee and already knew the detective's full name. According to a sworn probable cause affidavit obtained from Palm Beach County's court records, the caller claimed a woman named "Susan Taylor" was attempting to withdraw $6,000 from the detective's PNC checking account. The call ended after the detective said he did not use mobile banking.
The detective, whom CBS12 described as a veteran Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigator, called the number back and pretended to believe the story. This time, he was told the same woman was trying to take $6,000 from his Wells Fargo account through Zelle.
The callers instructed him to withdraw the money at a Wells Fargo branch while remaining on the phone. They told him to say the withdrawal was for personal business, claiming that bank employees were involved in the supposed fraud and could not be trusted. The affidavit describes conversations with two male callers and separately identifies Cantarero and Hamilton as the alleged collectors.
Callers Claimed an Undercover FBI Agent Would Drive the Uber
Sworn police account of the fake FBI courier story and the Uber package pickup monitored by deputies. - Document Credit: Palm Beach County Circuit Court, case 50-2026-CF-008085-AXXX-MB, docket entry 5, affidavit page 2.
After the supposed withdrawal, the callers changed their explanation: the money was allegedly counterfeit and bank employees would face criminal charges. They claimed an undercover FBI agent driving an Uber would collect the cash, which the detective was instructed to pack into a box along with a toy bought from a nearby store.
The detective played along, but the affidavit explicitly states that he withdrew no actual money. He handed an Uber courier a package the callers believed contained $6,000, while detectives and agents from the South Florida Criminal Apprehension Team followed the vehicle from Palm Beach County into Broward County.
In Pompano Beach, the person who arranged the Uber instructed the driver to place the unopened box beneath an unoccupied blue Honda Accord. Investigators kept the package under surveillance until a white BMW arrived. The affidavit identifies Cantarero as the front-seat passenger who picked up the box and Hamilton as the BMW's driver.
Deputies stopped the BMW after it left the collection point. The package was discovered torn open on the front passenger floorboard, according to the arrest record.
Both Men Face Two Felonies, but Their Bond Amounts Differ
Court event form recording two $125,000 bonds and GPS-monitored house arrest conditions for Shawn Hamilton. - Document Credit: Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court, case 50-2026-CF-008088-AXXX-MB, docket entry 21, October 28, 2026.
The Palm Beach County court records list the same two felony accusations against each defendant: grand theft involving property valued between $5,000 and $10,000 under Florida Statute 812.014(2)(c)(2), and defrauding to obtain property valued at less than $20,000 under section 817.034(4)(a)(3). Their separate cases are numbered 50-2026-CF-008085-AXXX-MB for Cantarero and 50-2026-CF-008088-AXXX-MB for Hamilton.
Cantarero's bond was set at $5,000 on each charge, or $10,000 in total. The sheriff's booking record shows that he was released on October 28 at 11:11 a.m., and his scheduled first appearance was canceled because he had bonded out.
Hamilton's separate sworn affidavit also describes the attempted $6,000 collection. At his October 28 first-appearance proceedings, a judge set his bond at $125,000 on each count, totaling $250,000, with GPS-monitored house arrest as a condition of release and orders barring contact with the detective and co-defendant.
Hamilton's court notice lists an initial case conference for December 17, 2026. The charges against both men remain pending, and neither has been convicted in these proceedings.
Broward Residents Previously Reported Similar Uber Cash Collections
Hands counting U.S. dollar bills, illustrative photograph. - Image Credit: Shutterstock.
A July 2025 warning from the Broward Sheriff's Office described more than a dozen reports involving callers impersonating bank fraud employees. In one case, a victim was persuaded to withdraw $15,000. In another, a couple handed over debit cards to a supposed bank representative and incurred more than $9,000 in fraudulent charges.
Investigators said some callers arranged Uber rides and instructed victims to leave cash or bank cards in envelopes in the back seat, sometimes telling them not to speak to the driver. Those earlier incidents were separate from the October 2026 arrests of Cantarero and Hamilton.
What to Do if a Bank Caller Demands Cash for a Courier
The Federal Trade Commission warns that a caller can know a person's full name or account details without actually representing a bank. When someone unexpectedly reports fraud and demands an urgent withdrawal, hang up and contact the institution using its official app, website or the number on the back of the bank card.
Legitimate bank fraud departments do not need customers to hide a withdrawal from bank staff or hand money to an unknown courier. Anyone who has already disclosed account information or sent money should notify the bank promptly, preserve relevant calls and messages, and report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Source: Crime
0 Comments