VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach police have arrested three suspects in a case where thousands of dollars were stolen from a victim who was tricked into handing over his phone to people who said they needed help, according to a search warrant.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team continues to report on crimes involving people approaching victims in parking lots or at stop lights and asking to use the victim's phone.
Watch related coverage: Navy Federal customer forced to pay back loan she didn't take out after scam
A search warrant WTKR obtained outlines how back in October, the suspects approached the victim in a Virginia Beach parking lot and befriended him.
They said they needed help with a Navy Federal Credit Union money transfer, the warrant states. The victim handed over his phone, and the suspects quickly gained access to his banking apps and Cash App and transferred $11,000 over the next few days.
Believing the suspects would help fix the problem, records state the victim met up with them again a week later. He got in a car with them and it states they started yelling and threatening him.
It states they drove around forcing him to to buy gift cards, money orders, take out money from the ATM and take out another loan.
Watch related coverage: Scam targeting Navy Federal customers costing victims thousands in Hampton Roads
Using surveillance video, police arrested three suspects: Kymon Tyson, 26, of Chesapeake; Mercedes Walker, 28, of Virginia Beach; and Darren Roberts, 32, of Virginia Beach. They are facing several charges including identity theft, forgery, abduction and grand larceny.
"These individuals are very sophisticated in how fast they can get into the phone system and get into your Cash App and transfer money in sometimes less than 30 seconds," said Garrett Shelton, the Police Chief at Old Dominion University.
Virginia Beach police urge everyone to be aware of their surroundings and not give their phone to someone they don't know.
"Unfortunately, there are those people who will use very creative means to get you to help them and then once you do, there is no intention other than to take from you," Shelton said.
The victim in this case lost $22,000, according to the records.
Tyson, Walker and Roberts are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 18.
Navy Federal did not respond to our requests for information.
This article was researched, reported, and written by a WTKR News 3 journalist. AI was used to minimize typos and ensure style continuity.
