EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — Carroll County deputies arrested a man accused of defrauding a senior citizen of nearly $30,000 in a fake tech support scam.
According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the elderly victim believed he had canceled a subscription to Norton LifeLock online. However, the website he used was a fraudulent imitation of the real Norton site.
Shortly after, the victim received a call from someone posing as a Norton representative, claiming a $300 charge had been made to his bank account. The caller offered to help process a refund, during which the victim was directed to enter “$300” — but due to either trickery or technical manipulation, he allegedly entered “$30,000” instead.
The next day, the scammer claimed that $30,000 had been refunded and sent the victim a fake bank statement as “proof.” He was then instructed to withdraw $29,700 to return the overpayment. A person posing as a Norton agent picked up the cash from the victim’s home. A few days later, the same scam occurred again, and more money was handed over.
On May 21, Equity Bank in Eureka Springs alerted CCSO to suspicious activity involving the victim. Deputies learned that scammers were attempting to defraud the victim a third time — this time for $38,000.
A two-day stakeout led authorities to the suspect, Wenyuan Song, who was arrested at the victim’s home on May 22 at around 3:05 p.m.
Song is facing three counts of felony theft and is being held on a federal hold with bond set at $100,000.
