A St. Marys, Ohio man is in custody after law enforcement says he attempted to defraud a local resident out of large sums of money.
The Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office reports that a resident contacted authorities on January 12, saying he had been communicating with scammers via phone and messaging apps. The scam began as a work-from-home opportunity but quickly shifted to an IT-related fraud, where the victim was instructed to wire money with the promise of receiving cryptocurrency to recover lost funds.
The victim initially sent money to the scammers, who later demanded additional large sums. On a subsequent visit, a male suspect arrived at the victim’s home to pick up the cash. Recognizing he was being scammed, the victim contacted law enforcement and agreed to cooperate in arranging a second pickup.
On January 21, a coordinated operation involving the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Lake Task Force, FBI Lima Office, Safe Streets Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection led to the arrest of Chaun Zhao, a 43-year-old Brooklyn, New York resident and citizen of the People’s Republic of China. Zhao was charged with two counts of theft by deception, a fourth-degree felony under Ohio law. He is currently held at the Auglaize County Jail.
Sheriff Vorhees reminded residents to remain vigilant against scams and urged anyone who suspects they are a target to contact local law enforcement immediately.
