The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported a 44-year-old woman lost $22,500 after receiving an email about a supposed debt
- Police said the woman sent multiple postal money orders to an address provided in the emails beginning in July 2020
- El Vocero reported the complaint was filed Saturday afternoon and initially investigated by Agent Samuel Sánchez in Maricao
- The case was referred to the Criminal Investigations Corps in Mayagüez with no suspects identified
Details of the alleged fraud
A 44-year-old woman filed a complaint with police alleging she was defrauded of $22,500 through emails, Metro Puerto Rico reported. The woman told authorities that since July 2020 she sent multiple postal money orders to an address supplied in the electronic messages that claimed she owed the money.
According to preliminary information provided by police, the victim received an email notifying her of the supposed debt and subsequently made several money-order shipments that totaled $22,500, El Vocero reported. Both outlets stated the complaint was investigated by Agent Samuel Sánchez of the Maricao district.
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Investigation status
The case has been referred to the Criminal Investigations Corps (CIC) in Mayagüez for further investigation, both Metro Puerto Rico and El Vocero reported. Police have not released any information about possible suspects.
The complaint was received during Saturday afternoon, according to El Vocero. At the time of the reports, no arrests had been made and authorities offered no additional details on how the emails reached the victim or whether similar schemes have been reported in the area.
Where the sources differ
Both Metro Puerto Rico and El Vocero agree on the $22,500 amount, the email notification of a supposed debt, the use of postal money orders sent to a provided address, the start in July 2020, the initial investigation by Agent Samuel Sánchez in Maricao, and the referral to the CIC in Mayagüez. Metro Puerto Rico explicitly identifies the victim as a 44-year-old woman and states she indicated the emails 'reclamaban una supuesta deuda.' El Vocero adds that the complaint was filed Saturday afternoon but contains no age for the victim. The sources are otherwise consistent.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not indicate how the victim first received the emails, whether she had any prior relationship with the sender, the exact number of money orders sent, the postal address used, or whether the emails contained any specific company or government name. No information is given on the current status of the investigation, expected timeline for results, or whether authorities are examining similar fraud complaints in Maricao or western Puerto Rico.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Mujer denuncia fraude de $22,500 mediante correos electrónicos en Maricao
- Reporting Reportan fraude de $22,500 mediante correos electrónicos en Maricao
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico and El Vocero both covered the fraud complaint filed in Maricao. All details about the amount, timeline, investigating agent and referral to the CIC come from the two news outlets' accounts of the police preliminary information. No official police statement or victim quote beyond the summarized complaint was published.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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