AUBURN, CA – Yunming Fan, 36, of San Gabriel, was arrested on June 10 following an investigation into an online scam targeting an elderly victim in Auburn.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit, with support from the Placer Special Investigations Unit (SIU), took Fan into custody after a scheme involving false claims of a debt related to an online payment app.
The victim was contacted days earlier and told she owed thousands of dollars due to a supposed computer error. To settle the debt, she was instructed to withdraw cash and give it to a courier who would come to her home.
After handing over a small amount of money, the victim realized the situation was a scam and alerted authorities. Detectives then supervised phone communications with the suspect, who demanded tens of thousands more.
Fan was arrested when he arrived at the Auburn residence on June 10 to collect the remaining cash. He was detained while driving a silver Honda Accord.
He now faces felony charges of conspiracy and theft by false pretenses. Detectives suspect Fan or his associates may be involved in similar cash pickup scams in the area.
Authorities have released Fan’s photo and vehicle details to help other potential victims identify him.
