'He asked for $20:' Alleged Dearborn serial scammer arrested
Scamming suspect faces multiple larceny charges
Retail areas like Fairlane and other strip malls across the city are where he would look for victims. Once he found someone, he allegedly told them a sad story about why he needed cash, with the promise of paying them back.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A man arrested in Dearborn is accused of running a scam on unsuspecting shoppers for months. The suspect has been charged with eight counts of larceny, but more charges are expected.
Big picture view:
Police say the reports date back four months.
Retail areas like Fairlane and other strip malls across the city are where he would look for victims. Once he found someone, he allegedly told them a sad story about why he needed cash, with the promise of paying them back.
"He would approach people in retail parking lots asking them to Zelle him money in exchange for cash," said Dearborn Police Commander Timothy McHale. "When victims would take out the cash, he would snatch it out of their hands and take off running on foot. The incidents piled up, and we are looking at ten reports right now in the city of Dearborn."
On Friday, police arrested 48-year-old Rami Mousa of Dearborn on charges of larceny.
He is still in jail on a $1,000 bond. FOX 2 had a chance to speak with a couple of his alleged victims.
One person told FOX 2 he seeks out those who speak Arabic, claiming he doesn’t speak English. They say the suspect then tells them he either ran out of gas or needs cash for baby formula, but says he will use a cash app to pay them back.
What they're saying:
One victim claims she was working at Burlington, and he stole her phone from a cart after distracting her by asking for money.
When she saw other victims on social media, she connected the dots.
"I was like, the scam about $20 feels familiar. I put two and two together, and then they released his photo, and I was like, that’s the guy—that’s the guy who stole my phone," said Duaa Hubaishi. "So I filed another police report with an update of his photo."
She also says he came back days later and again asked for cash.
"He tried to do the same scam. He didn’t remember me. He tried to pull the same scam on me. He asked for $20, and I confronted him at the time. You are the one who stole my phone, and he tried to act like he didn’t know what I was talking about," said Hubaishi.
What's next:
The suspect is still in jail and is being held on a cash bond and will require a GPS tether if he posts that bond.