Misspelled Text Leads to Arrest in $30K Amazon Scam Targeting Goleta Senior
A 31-year-old woman, identified as Caihong Lei, is behind bars after a spelling error in a scam text helped a 77-year-old Goleta woman realize she was being conned.
The victim was contacted by someone claiming to be from Amazon, alerting her to fraudulent charges and fictitious bank accounts opened in her name. The call was then “transferred” to someone posing as a Federal Trade Commission agent, who instructed the woman to withdraw $30,000 from her bank accounts to resolve the supposed issues.
The scammer stayed on the phone while the victim visited two Bank of America branches, demanding photos of the cash, receipts, and a sealed box containing the money.
However, the victim grew suspicious after receiving a follow-up message from the so-called agent, which included several misspellings. She contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office while still on the call with the scammer. Deputies quickly stepped in, coordinating with the victim to set up an arrest.
The suspect, Caihong Lei, was spotted lingering near the victim’s residence and attempted to collect the box of money. She was apprehended as she approached her Mercedes SUV.
Thanks to swift action by detectives, the $30,000 was returned to the victim’s bank account. Lei was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of grand theft by false pretense and conspiracy to commit fraud, with bail set at $500,000.
Authorities report that similar scams have been targeting residents in Goleta and Montecito, with ongoing investigations into other incidents involving large cash withdrawals under false pretenses.
