On March 12, 2026, the Carroll Township Police Department in Pennsylvania arrested 25-year-old Bear, Delaware resident Jonathan Rashad Francois for serving as a money mule for a McAfee refund scam operation, where
- The scammers will send fraudulent notifications falsely claiming the victim, in this case a 70-year-old man, was charged $488.99 for the renewal of his antivirus software.
- After gaining remote access to the victims’ computer, the scammer will make it look like the victim received a refund of $48,500 before demanding that the victim pay it back.
- The victim was asked to withdraw money from their bank account and hand it off to a designated courier, or money mule
When arrested, Francois told police that he had been instructed by an online friend of his, “Gem,” to pick up the money despite never meeting “Gem” in person. Francois is currently being held on a $50,000 bail at the York County Prison on charges of
- Conspiracy to commit theft by deception
- Conspiracy to receive stolen property
- Conspiracy to commit forgery
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility for criminal use
- Conspiracy for dealing in proceeds of an unlawful act.