Kuttino Jamal Scott, a 24-year-old resident of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court in New Haven to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his involvement in a scheme targeting users of the digital payment service Zelle. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
According to information presented in court, law enforcement agencies have been investigating fraudulent activities against users of digital payment applications such as Zelle. The scheme typically involved victims receiving deceptive text messages that appeared to come from their bank, asking them to verify unauthorized transactions. After denying authorization, victims would be contacted by someone impersonating a bank representative who claimed an unauthorized transaction had occurred and offered assistance in reversing it.
The fraudsters would then link the victim’s phone number or email address via Zelle to a bank account under their control. Victims were instructed to send what they believed were reversal payments to their own accounts but were actually sending money directly to the perpetrators.
From February 2021 through August 2023, Scott and others, including Kader Gahmaal Biwaki Edmond, carried out this scheme and similar frauds against multiple individuals—including residents of Connecticut—resulting in losses exceeding $250,000.
Scott was arrested on August 31, 2023. He faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced on April 13 and is currently released on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing. Edmond previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced on August 19, 2024, receiving a three-year prison term.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang.
Victims are encouraged to report Zelle-related fraud either directly to their financial institution or through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is managed by the FBI as a central reporting hub for cybercrime at www.ic3.gov.
