Two men arrested in Flathead County for internet scam

KALISPELL, Mont. - Two men who were arrested in Flathead County are accused of running an internet scam.

A Flathead County woman notified law enforcement when she had been contacted by someone on the internet, claiming to help her with an intrusion into her banking accounts.

The sheriff’s office reports the victim was told to take out a substantial amount of cash from her accounts and meet with a man to give him the cash.

After the first transaction, the victim was re-contacted by the suspects to conduct another transaction, which was intercepted by authorities.

On March 4 and 5, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI and its Montana Regional Violent Offenders Task Force, arrested Sukhdev Vaid, of Karnal, India, and Eddly Joseph, of Pompano Beach, Florida, in Flathead County and charged them in state District Court with felony counts of theft, attempted theft and accountability.

Officers were able to locate and arrest the two men when they came back to Flathead County to get more cash from the victim.

Both men are being held at the Flathead County Detention Center.

“Law Enforcement would like to remind citizens not to answer or correspond with individuals over the internet who claim to need money for help with bank accounts. Persons oftentimes are notified by ‘pop up’ type notifications that appear to be from valid software companies, such as Windows or Google, suggesting virus or intrusion issues. These individuals oftentimes originate from outside the United States and will try to get cash, gift cards, bank transfers or other money transfers to them. It is very difficult and almost always impossible to recover the lost money given to these persons,” the Flathead County Sheriff's Office warns.