A 36-year-old New York man, Yun Dan Li, has been arrested in connection with an $18,000 phone scam targeting a Newtown resident earlier this year. Li was charged with first-degree telephone fraud, conspiracy to commit first-degree telephone fraud, second-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny following an investigation that began after the incident in March 2024.
The victim, a 69-year-old Newtown man, was initially contacted on March 9 with an alert claiming that his computer had been hacked. After calling a number provided in the message, the victim spoke to someone who claimed his bank accounts had been compromised. The alleged representative then instructed him to withdraw large sums of money from his bank accounts for safekeeping. Following the advice, the victim withdrew $18,000 in total from two separate branches. A man later arrived at the victim’s home in a Lexus, collected the money, and drove off.
It wasn’t until the victim was instructed to withdraw even more funds that he became suspicious and contacted Newtown police. Authorities soon traced the car back to Li, linking him to the scam. Additional investigation revealed that Li had previously been arrested for alleged money laundering in July 2023, and he later admitted his involvement in the Newtown scheme.
Li was extradited from the Nassau County Correctional Center to Connecticut on December 4 and was arraigned the next day at state Superior Court in Danbury. He remains held on a $75,000 bond, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for January 15, 2025.
Newtown police have issued a warning to residents to be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails requesting money transfers, gift cards, or personal information. Authorities are urging anyone who may have fallen victim to similar scams to report the incident.
