Two men from Washington were arrested on Tuesday, February 4, for allegedly attempting to defraud an Albany resident.
According to the Albany Police Department, the scam began when the victim, an Albany resident, reported an incident on Monday, February 3. He claimed that during the 2024 Christmas season, he unknowingly contracted a virus on his phone after clicking on an advertisement from a Solitaire app. Shortly afterward, the victim began receiving calls from a man identifying himself as “Chris Wilson,” claiming to be a PayPal employee warning him that his personal information had been compromised.
The victim was then connected to other individuals, “Eddy Cooper” and “Mack Jones,” who falsely introduced themselves as members of Edward Jones’ financial department. They convinced the victim that his personal accounts had been hacked to the tune of $37,500. They instructed him to deposit an equal sum to “mirror” the loss, claiming it would reverse the fraudulent activity.
The victim was directed to a Bitcoin Depot Kiosk, where he was told to deposit $10,000. As he followed the instructions, he remained on the phone with “Mack” and was advised to have the rest of the money at his home for a courier to collect. Growing suspicious, the victim contacted the Albany Police Department, and officers quickly organized a sting operation for the following day, Tuesday, February 4.
At the scheduled time, a white 2015 BMW X5 with Washington license plates arrived, and the two suspects were inside. An Asian male, later identified as Yong Xue, approached to collect the money, providing a passcode to the undercover officer. Xue was quickly apprehended following a brief foot chase.
Both suspects, Xue, 32, from Tacoma, Washington, and Zhen He, 36, also of Tacoma, were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and held at Linn County Jail. They are believed to be involved in other similar fraudulent activities, prompting the Albany Police Department to call on the public for help. Anyone who recognizes the suspects or has experienced similar interactions is urged to contact the Albany Police at (541) 917-7680.
Scam-related crimes have been on the rise, with victims losing an estimated $1.03 trillion globally in 2024, according to the Global State of Scams report. Unfortunately, many scam victims do not report these crimes due to feelings of embarrassment or shame.
