ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 Apopka police arrested Timothy Swanigan Thursday for allegedly defrauding a 76-year-old of $19,700 and attempting to collect another $19,700. He was caught during a police sting on East Semoran Boulevard.<\/p>\n
Swanigan claimed to be from a computer business and installed software on the victim\u2019s home computer, pretending to scan for scams. This was part of a scheme involving false claims of accidental bank deposits, leading the victim to withdraw large sums for cash collection.<\/p>\n
The fraud started when the victim saw a suspicious $200 PayPal transaction on their account. An unknown male then called the resident, claiming to have mistakenly deposited $20,000 into the account. He demanded the victim withdraw the money and return it in person.<\/p>\n
Swanigan informed detectives that he was involved in an initial pickup on March 18 and acknowledged receiving $400 for his part in the transaction. He also stated that he deposited the remaining money into a mailbox at an abandoned house on Rio Grande Avenue in Orlando.<\/p>\n
Authorities conducted a sting operation in a parking lot on East Semoran Boulevard on Thursday. Swanigan came back to the scene aiming to make a second $19,700 pickup but was intercepted and arrested by Apopka police officers.<\/p>\n
Police charged Swanigan with fraud, swindling over $300 from a person 65 or older, use of a device to facilitate a felony, and grand theft of $10,000 to $50,000 from someone 65 or older.<\/p>\n
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