BARNEGAT, N.J. — Two men are in custody following their arrests in connection with an international scam that led a Barnegat senior citizen to lose nearly $200,000 in gold and nearly fall victim to an additional $550,000 theft, according to local police.
The Barnegat Police Department launched an investigation after receiving a tip from the FBI involving a 76-year-old local resident. The victim had unknowingly purchased nearly $200,000 in gold bars from a legitimate Las Vegas dealer under false pretenses.
The scam began when the victim was contacted by someone posing as an AppleCare representative after receiving a pop-up message on his iPad. The scammer told the man his bank accounts were compromised and convinced him the safest course of action was to convert his money into gold bars and hand them over to a courier. The courier, he was told, would deposit the gold with the Federal Reserve for safekeeping.
On April 16, the victim complied and handed the gold over to the scammer.
The fraud escalated when the victim was persuaded to purchase another $550,000 in gold, with delivery set for April 28. Fortunately, Barnegat officers intervened. They conducted surveillance and stationed personnel inside the victim’s residence.
When two suspects arrived to collect the new shipment, police moved in and arrested them at the scene.
The suspects were identified as Chen Tongyong and Jianming Jiang, both of whom now face charges of Second-Degree Theft by Deception and Conspiracy to Commit Theft. They were processed at the Barnegat Police Department and remain in custody at the Ocean County Jail.
Authorities are urging residents—especially seniors—to stay alert when receiving unsolicited communications related to finances or tech support. If in doubt, contact local law enforcement before taking any action.
