Howell Township police have arrested Wei Zheng and Qiufen Chen after they were caught on Interstate 195 following a sting operation. The two suspects had just left the victims’ home, expecting to collect another payment as part of an ongoing scam. The couple, who lost tens of thousands of dollars, turned to police for help, leading to the operation.
According to authorities, the scam started with a phishing attempt using fake PayPal emails and screens to trick the victims into transferring large sums of money over the course of several weeks. Howell Township Detective Richard Robertiello, a financial crimes expert, warned that anyone asking for money should raise immediate suspicion.
The scammers first contacted the victims by claiming their PayPal accounts were compromised, requesting cash to resolve the issue. The couple responded and handed over large amounts of money to the scammers on two occasions. To make the scam more convincing, the perpetrators even arranged for someone to pick up the cash in person.
“When we found out they were sending people to the home to collect money, we coordinated a sting operation,” said Howell Township Police Chief John Storrow. The suspects were arrested after leaving the victims’ home, pulled over by officers on I-195.
Zheng and Chen, both Chinese nationals, were found to be in the U.S. illegally. Howell Township Detective Ryan Jackson indicated the scam was likely part of an international operation involving organized crime groups coordinating through phones and online messaging platforms.
The suspects were charged with receiving stolen property and conspiracy but were released from Monmouth County Jail. Howell police continue to investigate, suspecting that these individuals may have targeted others using similar tactics.
Detective Robertiello routinely visits senior centers to educate them on how to avoid falling victim to such scams. “A good rule of thumb is to never send money to anyone you don’t know,” he advises.
Detectives believe that these types of scams target the elderly, who have significant assets, and are particularly vulnerable to these schemes. Chief Storrow encouraged anyone who recognizes the suspects to contact Howell Township police at 732-938-4111, as they continue to unravel the larger network behind the scam. “We have their phones and locations, and we hope this investigation leads to something bigger,” he said.
