RANGELEY PLANTATION — Two men from Massachusetts posing as federal workers were behind bars Wednesday, accused of defrauding a woman out of $40,000 in a PayPal scam and then coming back for more.

Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said in a news release Wednesday evening that the men posed as Department of Justice employees when they approached the woman. After Sheriff’s Office deputies learned of the scam, they waited at the woman’s home, arresting the pair when they came for more money.

Arrested were Dev Patel, 19, of Westford, Massachusetts, and Love Patel, 24, of Mansfield, Massachusetts. Each was charged with theft by deception and taken to the Franklin County Jail in Farmington where they remained Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Detective David Davol was contacted by the woman who told him she had already been defrauded of $40,000.

According to the news release, the men told the woman they worked for the Department of Justice and were conducting an investigation. During the course of that scheme the men demanded $40,000, which was directed to them through the payment service PayPal.

“Detective Davol developed further information that the individuals would return the next day to collect another $32,000,” according to the release.

When the suspects arrived at the woman’s home Wednesday, several officers from the Sheriff’s Office were there waiting to arrest them.

The case remains under investigation.

Police said the “appropriate federal authorities” were notified about the scam.