A Miami resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a scheme that defrauded users of the electronic payment system Zelle. David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Kuttino Jamal Scott, 24, entered his plea on January 8 in New Haven.
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, law enforcement agencies have been investigating crimes targeting users of digital payment applications such as Zelle. The fraudulent scheme typically began with victims receiving text messages that appeared to come from their bank, asking them to confirm whether a Zelle transaction was authorized. If the victim denied authorizing the transaction, they would then receive a call from someone posing as a bank representative who claimed an unauthorized transaction had occurred and offered assistance in reversing it.
Unbeknownst to the victims, fraudsters linked their actual phone numbers or email addresses via Zelle to accounts not belonging to them. Victims were instructed to “reverse” what they believed was a fraudulent transaction by sending money through Zelle—funds which actually went into accounts controlled by those running the scheme.
Between February 2021 and August 2023, Scott and others—including Kader Gahmaal Biwaki Edmond—defrauded numerous individuals across several states, including Connecticut. The total amount taken through this and other schemes exceeded $250,000.
Scott was arrested on August 31, 2023. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud—a charge carrying up to 30 years in prison—and is scheduled for sentencing on April 13. He remains free on a $100,000 bond until that date.
Edmond previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a three-year prison sentence on August 19, 2024.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation into these activities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang is prosecuting the case.
Victims are encouraged to report incidents involving Zelle fraud either directly with their financial institution or through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.