Deputies and detectives with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) arrested a Seattle man after a county resident thwarted a fraud attempt involving over $50,000.
The victim reported that they had been contacted by a person claiming to be from Microsoft’s fraud department, advising that the victim’s financial account had been compromised, a release by CCSO stated. The victim was instructed by the scammer to remove $55,000 in cash from their account in order to protect their funds. They were told a courier would be sent to their home to retrieve the money, according to a news release. When the resident reported this to CCSO, deputies confirmed this was a scam, similar to other thefts that have resulted in significant financial losses, the release stated.
On July 31, deputies and detectives with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office responded to the victim’s residence in an undercover operation to intercept the courier. After several hours, the suspect called the victim and asked them to meet at a local store. The victim was instructed to package the cash in a box and turn it over to the courier, who would have a passcode, the release stated.
After going to the store as instructed, a male subject contacted the victim near their vehicle and provided the passcode. The victim turned over a package — filled with magazines instead of cash — to the male suspect, who was then placed under arrest by detectives, the release stated. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Zhongying Chen of Seattle, was booked into Cowlitz County Jail on charges of first-degree attempted theft and first-degree criminal impersonation, the release stated.
