A Howell resident became the victim of a sophisticated scam after receiving an email claiming her PayPal account had been compromised. Following the instructions, she bundled up more than $20,000 in cash and waited for someone to pick up the package.
The scammer directed her to repeat this process twice, each time sending a different individual to retrieve the money. It wasn’t until she realized she was being scammed that she contacted Detective Richard Robertiello for help.
In response, Howell detectives set up a decoy package, waiting for the scammers to take the bait. The plan worked. Qiufeng Chen, 51, of Brooklyn, and Wei Zheng, 29, of West Hempstead, picked up the decoy parcel. Detectives quickly stopped their vehicle and arrested the two men.
Chen and Zheng now face charges of receiving stolen property and conspiracy to receive stolen property, each carrying a potential five-year prison sentence. Both men were taken to Monmouth County Jail and were later released.
Howell police are using this case as an opportunity to remind residents not to send money in any form, including gift cards, and to be cautious when receiving suspicious messages.
