WARSAW — Warsaw Police Detectives are working with U.S. Embassy Officials in Croatia to help a Warsaw business resolve a fraud and deception case involving over $250,000.

An official with HAAS Multigrind LLC, Warsaw, which is owned by HAAS SchleifmaschinenGmBH, Trossingen, Germany, contacted Warsaw Police around March 6, reporting the location had been defrauded of $275,345.10. The money was sent to a bank in Zagreb, Croatia.

According to Warsaw Police Detective Ryan Coble, an employee of the local business, located on Enterprise Drive, notified police he had received telephone calls and emails from an individual he believed was one of the company president, Thomas Bader. The emails were received through the company’s official email account. Even a confirmation code was sent from another high ranking official of the company. One of the communications stated there had been a clerical error and ask officials at Warsaw to make a payment to a company. The notification said such a payment could not be processed quickly enough if handled from Germany.

The transaction was handled in Warsaw, wiring it to a company in Croatia. However, when notification was received to stop the transaction, questions began to be raised. The clincher was a group phone conversation with the person claiming to be Bader, a local company official and individuals who knew Bader. When the impostor could not answer specific questions, including being asked to speak German, they knew the company had been a victim of fraud and deception.

Coble stated the local official contacted the home office in Germany and learned the request was not made by one of the company’s presidents.

Coble has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Croatia and is awaiting a response for assistance in the investigation.