Fraud and romance scam cost Florida companies more than $60,000: FDLE
TAMPA - A Highlands County business fell victim to an elaborate fraud scheme that also involved a romance scam, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Taufiq Kailani, 47, was arrested March 16 on charges including organized fraud and money laundering. The FDLE investigation into the crime the Daytona Beach resident is accused of began in 2020.
"This (investigation), it did take quite a while. Most financial cases take a while, and it's because these bad actors will build in layers to hide themselves," said FDLE Fort Myers Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson.
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Two construction companies – one in Big Bend, the other in Sebring – were working on a project together.
"We see it in real estate companies a lot, in title companies a lot. (Criminals) target businesses that are engaged in frequent, large financial transactions," Lawson said.
Kailani hacked into the Big Bend company’s email, the FDLE told FOX 13. While pretending to be an employee, he sent wire instructions to the Sebring company.
"Believing it's legitimate, these companies then transferred money," Lawson said.
The companies wired $60,725 to a "fraudulent bank account" that Kailani had convinced an elderly woman to open, Lawson explained.
"In a side scheme, he engaged in a romance scam. He met a woman online," Lawson said.
Investigators said Kailani convinced the elderly woman to withdraw the money and send it to him.
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In romance scams, criminals trick victims into believing they are in a relationship, then use that relationship to persuade the victim to give the scammer money or personal information.
According to FBI Tampa, 1,351 Floridians fell victim to romance scams in 2023 and reported losses of nearly $63 million.
"So they, in essence, make them partners in their scheme. But the victim believes it's all for love or it's all for legitimate purposes," Lawson said.
The FDLE is encouraging Floridians to verify all financial requests.
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"If scams seem too good to be true, they probably are," Lawson said. "If you're engaged in a business or a transaction like buying a home – or something to that effect – and you're expecting to receive wire instructions, don't take the email alone to be the sole source of how to send that money. Make a phone call. Verify what you received to protect your assets."
According to the FDLE, investigators learned Kailani was sending cash overseas, and in this case, all the wired money from the construction companies is gone.
"It's just so simple these days to trick someone with an email scam," Lawson said. "And the same goes for romance (scams)."
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