A 43-year-old man from New York, Shulong Li, has been arrested in connection with a national phone fraud scam, according to York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson. Li, from College Point, N.Y., faces charges of obtaining property under false pretenses and conspiracy.
Li was arrested on December 12 after a woman in Minnesota reported being scammed by a phone call on December 11. The caller convinced the woman that her son had been arrested on drug charges and that she needed to send thousands of dollars to a Fort Mill address to clear his name. The woman sent over $15,000, but after growing suspicious, she contacted authorities. Deputies recovered the money and arrested Li the following day.
Further investigation revealed additional victims from Iowa and New Mexico, with officers recovering around $43,000 in cash. “We have disrupted a nationwide scam operation,” Tolson stated during a press conference at the Moss Justice Center.
Li is reportedly in the U.S. illegally, and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on him. York County officials are collaborating with law enforcement in Minnesota, where Li faces additional charges related to the scam.
Sheriff Tolson emphasized that scammers frequently impersonate law enforcement officers or public officials to extort money, particularly targeting the elderly. He noted that legitimate agencies never ask for money or personal information over the phone.
“This scam operation preyed on vulnerable people, and we are working to prevent further fraud,” Tolson said. The sheriff’s office reported over $3.6 million lost to fraud in York County in 2024, with 869 cases reported. They also mentioned a unique incident where a targeted individual sent a package containing dog feces back to the scammers as a response to the fraud attempt.
Anyone who believes they have fallen victim to a scam is urged to contact the York County Sheriff’s Office at 803-628-3056.
