HELD ON $450,000 BOND. ACCUSED OF SCAMMING ELDERLY IN BOYNTON BEACH.
COPS: Stole Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars…
BOYNTON BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Detectives with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office nabbed a man who they say has been preying on the elderly in Palm Beach County through a “PayPal” scam. Wilkens Eugene of Fort Lauderdale is now in custody and facing multiple charges after he allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from victims who believed they were either under investigation, the victim of a fraud that could only be solved by paying a fine, or other stories concocted by Eugene. The arrest report filed by PBSO shows just how intent scammers are on preying on the elderly in Palm Beach County — and how good PBSO investigators really are. We have redacted the name of the victim in this case but we have made no other changes to the narrative shared with BocaNewsNow.com by PBSO:
>> THIS FRAUD OCCURRED BETWEEN THE DATES OF MARCH 27, 2025 AND APRIL 3, 2025, AT THE LOCATION OF MIMOSA PLACE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA. ON APRIL 3, 2025, THE VICTIM (an elderly female) CONTACTED PBSO TO REPORT THAT SHE WAS A VICTIM OF FRAUD.
DISTRICT 6 DETECTIVE BUREAU WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY AND (the victim) WAS ASKED TO RESPOND TO OUR DISTRICT LOCATED AT 7894 SOUTH JOG ROAD. THIS INVESTIGATOR INTERVIEWED (the victim) WHO ADVISED SHE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM PAYPAL AND A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. (The victim) CONTACTED THE PHONE NUMBER AND SHE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A MALE THAT IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS DAVID BARKER FROM PAYPAL AND PROVIDED AN EMPLOYEE NUMBER. THE SUSPECT(S) HAD (the victim) DOWNLOAD AN APP CALLED “CONTROL” TO HER PHONE, THEY HAD HER PUT A CODE IN AND THIS GAVE THEM ACCESS TO HER JP MORGAN CHASE ACCOUNTS. (The victim) WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE $12,000.00 FROM HER ACCOUNT ON MARCH 27, 2025 AND SHE TURNED THAT MONEY OVER TO AN UNKNOWN BLACK MALE ON MARCH 28, 2025. THE SUSPECTS CONTINUED TO CONTACT (the victim) THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND ON APRIL 2, 2025, (the victim) TOOK $30,000.00 FROM HER CHASE ACCOUNT. ON APRIL 3, 2025, (the victim) WAS CONTACTED AGAIN AND ASKED TO REMOVE $60,000.00 FROM HER ACCOUNT.
(The victim) CONTACTED PBSO AT THIS TIME BELIEVING SHE WAS BEING SCAMMED. I INSTRUCTED (the victim) TO TELL THE SUSPECT(S) THAT SHE WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET $30,000.00 FROM HER BANK AND THEY WOULD NOT GIVE HER THE REST OF THE MONEY. THE SUSPECTS) CONTACTED HER AND ADVISED THEY WOULD BE AT HER HOME TO PICK THE MONEY UP AGAIN.
AT APPROXIMATELY, 3:00 P.M. ON APRIL 3, 2025, A GRAY IN COLOR TOYOTA BEARING FL TAG DXHF38 ARRIVED AT HER HOME AND A BLACK MALE APPROACHED THE HOME. THE SUSPECT DETAINED WAS WILKENS EUGENE. THIS IS THE SAME SUSPECT IDENTIFIED BY ANOTHER VICTIM.
DUE TO THE ABOVE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, PROBABLE CAUSE IS ESTABLISHED TO BELIEVE THAT WILKENS EUGENE IS GUILTY OF A VIOLATION OF FSS. 810.02(3A) TO WIT: BURGLARY OCCUPIED DWELLING, FSS. 812.0145(2B), TO WIT: GRAND THEFT 812.0145(2B) 10,000 TO 50,000, A VIOLATION OF FSS. 817.034(4a3) TO WIT: SCHEME TO DEFRAUD AND A VIOLATION OF FSS. 815.06 (3B2) TO WIT: COMPUTER CRIME TO DEFRAUD/OBTAIN PROPERTY. <<
Wilkens Eugene home address is listed as 45th Street in Fort Lauderdale. He is being held on $450,000 bond in the Palm Beach County Jail. Court dates are pending.
