LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A choose set bail at $5 million for a California man accused of scamming at the least one individual out of $200,000, allegedly luring them in with phony alerts on their laptop, in keeping with paperwork the 8 Information Now Investigators obtained.
Zhicong Chen, 27, faces theft costs linked to a number of incidents in 2023, paperwork stated.
In September 2023, an individual reported to Las Vegas Metro police that they have been “the victim of a complex scheme to defraud [them] of $179,000,” paperwork stated. The sufferer advised police the scheme started when he acquired an alert on his laptop computer to name a cellphone quantity he believed was for a Microsoft assist line.
The individual, who was later decided to be impersonating a Microsoft worker, advised the sufferer their “computer was associated with cybercrimes, such as child sex abuse material and money laundering, and that his [bank] account was now compromised,” paperwork stated.
The sufferer was then contacted by an individual pretending to be a financial institution consultant. That individual instructed the sufferer to withdraw $55,000 “for safekeeping,” police stated. Just a few days later, a girl got here to the sufferer’s dwelling to retrieve the cash.
In a second assembly, the sufferer met a person in a car parking zone and handed him $40,000.
Earlier than a 3rd meetup, the alleged scammers satisfied the sufferer he wanted to withdraw a further $30,000, police stated.
In a fourth assembly, the sufferer handed over $35,000, police stated.
Later, the alleged scammers instructed the sufferer to purchase $19,000 price of present playing cards and ship photographs of the playing cards to them, police stated. At that time, “he realized he had been scammed out of his money.”
Police linked Chen to one of many automobiles concerned in one of many meetups by a automotive rental settlement, they stated.
Police in Arizona arrested Chen and a girl on costs of theft and arranged monetary cash laundering within the days after the incidents. Within the Arizona case, a girl reported the same scheme the place she handed over tens of 1000’s of {dollars}.
Throughout that arrest, police in Arizona discovered $10,000 in Apple present playing cards in Chen’s automotive alongside $50,000 in money, they stated.
Detectives suspect an individual outdoors the nation was aiding within the rip-off, they stated.
Police took Chen into custody on a warrant on Sunday, Aug. 24, information stated. Throughout Chen’s arrest warrant return listening to, Las Vegas Justice Courtroom Decide Eric Goodman set bail at $5 million. Particulars concerning the delay in his arrest weren’t instantly accessible Thursday; nevertheless, it was more likely to contain the Arizona legal case continuing first.
The choose scheduled a preliminary listening to for Sept. 8.
Earlier this 12 months, Metro police arrested 12 individuals as a part of a number of investigations into comparable schemes. In all, almost two dozen victims have handed over $3 million to fraudsters who pose as representatives from a monetary establishment or web firm, police advised the 8 Information Investigators.
Metro police and the FBI warn customers to concentrate on the authenticity of any suspicious e mail or alert: Firms is not going to out of the blue demand entry.
Anybody who believes they’re the sufferer of any on-line fraudulent exercise can report it on to Metro by calling 311 or the FBI at ic3.gov. The FBI additionally affords data on its web site about methods to spot the most typical scams and cybercrimes.
8 Information Now Investigator David Charns may be reached at [email protected].
