COCOA, Fla. – Cocoa police Monday arrested a 30-year-old man who investigators said scammed an 88-year-old woman in Texas into thinking she'd won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes.
Tyler Gatewood, of Cocoa, is charged with exploiting an elderly person, fraud and grand theft.
Police said Gatewood called the 88-year-old woman in Texas identifying himself as "Mark" and told the woman she'd won the sweepstakes but would need to first need to pay the taxes on her cash winnings and a Mercedes-Benz.
Police said the woman was tricked into depositing nearly $50,000 into Gatewood's bank accounts.
"At the point that he had asked her to provide personal information and send money, that's the point where she should have stopped and tried to verify the information," said Yvonne Martinez, spokesperson with the Cocoa Police Department.
Down on her money, police said the woman than called authorities and Gatewood was arrested.
A judge at the Brevard County Jail on Tuesday set Gatewood's bond at $55,000.
Police said additional arrests may be made in the case.
Gatewood's next court date is June 25.
"Whenever you're contacted by someone's who identifying themselves as being part of a sweepstakes, never give personal information like Social Security numbers, bank cards or anything like that over the phone," Martinez said. "Anytime you have someone exploiting an elderly person, an unsuspecting person, they deserve to be put away," Martinez added about Gatewood's arrest.
Police did not say Tuesday if the 88-year-old victim was able to get her money back.