Mundelein police officer honored for stopping $196,000 fraud

A Mundelein police officer was lauded this week for helping a local resident recover $196,000 that almost was lost in a scam.

The would-be victim, a 76-year-old woman, went to police in November to report the crime. According to Deputy Police Chief Thomas Poynor, someone posing as a worker in the fraud department of the woman’s bank had called her and said a bogus $1,960 charge had been made.

The caller pressured the woman to provide remote access to her computer, which allowed the caller to request a $196,000 online money order be sent via UPS to Texas.

Often in these scams, packages are intercepted by the fraudsters, Poynor said. Sometimes additional victims unknowingly are involved.

As he listened to the resident’s story, Officer Anastasios Koumantos recognized the urgency of the matter and tried to stop delivery of the money by phone. Unsuccessful, he went to a UPS store to stop the delivery and then accompanied the woman to her bank so she could receive additional assistance, Poynor said.

“The timely reporting and the quick actions taken by the officer prevented any money (from) being lost,” Poynor said.

For his efforts, Koumantos — a 20-year department veteran — received a letter of recognition from Chief Jason Seeley.

No charges are expected because cases like this often involve foreign networks, Poynor said.

People should be suspicious whenever they receive an unexpected call, text or email asking for personal identification or money, police said. End communication and contact the company or agency the person claims to represent directly using a trusted number. If contacted electronically by a stranger, don’t click on links.

Additionally, legitimate organizations don’t ask for banking information, passwords, Social Security information or other personal details over the phone, police cautioned.

If you suspect you’ve been victimized in a scam, call police immediately. “Do not be ashamed or embarrassed,” Poynor said.