A New York man has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a bank impersonation scam targeting an elderly man in New Hampshire. Wenhua Zhuo, 48, of Flushing, New York, faces one class A felony count of attempted theft by deception, as announced by Attorney General John Formella.
Zhuo was arrested on July 16 and is set to be arraigned on this indictment at Cheshire County Superior Court on November 7. According to the investigation, the victim, a 77-year-old resident of Richmond, received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Fraud Department of a local bank. The caller informed him that his bank account had been compromised and instructed him to withdraw $20,000 in cash, which he was to give to a courier who would come to his home.
The indictment states that Zhuo, intending to facilitate the crime of theft by deception, traveled to the victim’s home. He reportedly approached the elderly man while he was holding a package that allegedly contained more than $1,500 in cash, indicating a substantial step toward committing the crime.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, please contact your local police department or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at 1-800-949-0470.