Community
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Media Release - Ojai Fraud Investgation / Recovered Loss
| Nature of Incident: | Fraud Investigation / Recovered Loss | ||||
| Report Number: | 25-22110 | ||||
| Location: | 900 block of Pleasant Avenue, Ojai | ||||
| Date & Time: | 02/20/2025 | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ojai Patrol Station, Ojai Station Investigations Unit | ||||
| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (S) Unknown Male (V) Adult Female |
Unknown Ojai |
Unknown 66 |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| On 02/20/2025, an Ojai patrol deputy was dispatched to the 900 block of Pleasant Avenue in Ojai reference a fraud / theft by false pretenses investigation. The deputy learned a male subject who identified himself as, “Christopher Anderson” contacted the victim and identified himself as an employee of the Wells Fargo Bank Fraud Department. The suspect led the victim to believe fraudulent charges were made to her credit card in the State of Florida and she needed to close her current account and open a new account. The suspect convinced the victim to withdraw approximately $10,000.00 from her account and send it to an address in Florida. Fearing financial hardship, the victim believed the suspect and mailed the requested funds. Ojai Station Detectives were alerted to the incident and quickly contacted Investigators with the United States Postal Service. Through the collaborative efforts of Postal Inspectors and Ojai Station Detectives, the victim’s package was seized prior to being sent to Florida. The victim was contacted and her money returned. At this time, investigators believe the name provided to the victim is fraudulent. The Ojai Police Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind Ojai and Ventura County residents that financial institutions do their best to alert customers of fraudulent activity but will never ask for funds to be withdrawn and mailed. This incident is one of many scams intended to target Ventura County residents. Residents are encouraged to contact their local financial institutions in person or law enforcement to prevent themselves from becoming victims. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships. Join us in the fight on crime by following us on “X” @venturasheriff, Facebook, Instagram @VCSHERIFF and @OJAIPD, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant Gunnar Dike | ||||
| News Release Date: | 3/13/2025 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Joseph Sharif joseph.sharif@ventura.org (805) 477-7038 |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Trina Newman, Ojai Chief of Police YES NO |
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Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511