Local prosecutors charged two men from Brooklyn, New York, with attempted felony theft this week after back-to-back undercover operations by the Wilton Police Department targeted an elder fraud scheme.
The suspects in the computer virus fraud plot claimed to be from McAfee, a computer security company, and requested several large payments in gold from an elderly victim, authorities said. After requesting his bank to exchange his money for gold, the victim was told to contact the police.
There were a total of three transactions, with the final transaction at approximately $89,000, Police Chief John Frechette said. That third transaction wasn’t completed, but Frechette said police are still investigating the first two.
Officer David Pardue led the investigation after being contacted by the victim.
A primary suspect whom Wilton police haven’t caught and who was operating out of New York sent two separate couriers to Wilton to collect the gold, Frechette said.
Wilton officers conducted an undercover operation that led to the arrest of the first courier, Xu Dalong of Brooklyn, on Friday, Sept. 25.
The primary suspect then sent a second courier, either “unaware” or “unconcerned” with the first courier’s whereabouts, police said in a press release. A second undercover operation resulted in the arrest of Xiong Zheng of Brooklyn on Sept. 28.
Both men were arraigned and placed in preventive detention, subject to an immigration detainer as undocumented immigrants.
Investigators from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations offered assistance to the Wilton Police Department, including help with cell phone data extraction, Frechette said.
Search warrants have been obtained for the courier’s cars and phones, according to the press release. Frechette said additional charges will be filed if further victims or evidence are uncovered, which would allow federal action. As of now, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not involved, but Frechette said that will change when the cases go to court.
Wilton police asked residents to talk with loved ones and elderly neighbors about these scams and said no legitimate organization will instruct someone to buy gold, cryptocurrency, gift cards or other valuables for payment.