Cuban in Miami deceives woman with a call and steals $1,000 via Zelle: This is how the scam worked

A Cuban resident in South Florida ended up behind bars, accused of exploiting a woman's fear to extract money from her through a phone scam that, according to authorities, was carefully crafted.

Leandro Sánchez Leyva, 33 years old, was arrested in Miami-Dade on March 20, after agents from the Sheriff’s Office determined that he posed as a representative of a financial institution to deceive his victim. According to a report from Local 10, the man allegedly psychologically manipulated the woman into believing that her bank account was being compromised by fraudulent transactions.

The deception, described as a "fraudulent call," relied on the use of a real phone number from Delta Community Credit Union, which lent greater credibility to the story. Under pressure and urgency, the victim ended up sending $1,000 via Zelle, convinced that it was the only way to protect her money.

Authorities indicated that Sánchez used fear as a primary tool to coerce the decision. Subsequently, bank records revealed that he withdrew funds from his Wells Fargo account at various ATMs.

The woman told investigators that she felt completely deceived by the sophistication of the impersonation. In fact, when they showed her the photo of the suspect, she stated that she did not recognize him at all.

The arrest took place in an apartment near Cutler Bay. According to the report cited by Local 10, the accused confessed to having consciously received the money and admitted to withdrawing the funds on different days.

He now faces serious charges including organized fraud, grand theft, fraudulent use of personal information, and communication fraud. Furthermore, there is a migration detention order against him, which could further complicate his legal situation.

According to records from the county correctional system, Sánchez remained in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after posting a $10,000 bond, although it was unclear whether the immigration detention order would affect his potential release.

The case once again raises awareness in the community about this type of fraud, which is becoming increasingly frequent and sophisticated, where a phone call can turn into a trap that empties bank accounts and leaves victims with few options to recover their money.

Recently, a Cuban couple in Miami was accused of defrauding more than 200 thousand dollars, and previously authorities dismantled a network in which five members of a criminal network that included Cubans were arrested for similar activities.