Three individuals, including two young men from California, are facing serious charges in Douglas County for their alleged involvement in a complex $90,000 email scam and extortion conspiracy.
Lirui Diao, 21, and Junyan Wu, 22, both required a Mandarin interpreter during court appearances this week after being arrested on May 2 during a traffic stop in Genoa. Prosecutors allege the pair are connected to an organized network that stole $90,000 and attempted to take over $50,000 more from unsuspecting victims through scam emails impersonating major companies like Microsoft.
A third suspect, Quan Fu Ma, 45, was arrested on May 8 in Gardnerville Ranchos. Authorities believe Ma is tied to the same operation.
“This crime involves a coordinated conspiracy of individuals and spans multiple states,” said prosecutor Ric Casper. He noted that Diao entered the U.S. on a student visa in January 2024, which has since expired, making him a flight risk. Cash bail was requested during the hearing.
The scam typically begins with fake emails notifying victims of false subscriptions or security alerts. The correspondence escalates to threats if the victims don’t pay. Many victims are seniors.
Sheriff Dan Coverley confirmed that the investigation was a joint effort by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tri-Net Narcotics Task Force.
The arrests coincide with an upcoming senior scam awareness seminar, scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center in Gardnerville.
This case mirrors several others in Douglas County, including one involving Minglong Chen, 46, who admitted to stealing over $90,000 from a 93-year-old and is set for sentencing in June. Additionally, Cindy Yaohua Guo, 43, and Zhu Ping Ge, 39, were arrested earlier this year in a similar case; Ge is currently wanted for failing to appear in court.
